Hejaz

The Hejaz (or Hijaz) covers the central Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia. Home to both commercial hub Jeddah and the Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina, this is where the famous railway from Damascus led in its brief heyday, and while politically somewhat eclipsed by Riyadh, Jeddah in particular remains the most cosmopolitan city in the country.

Cities

 * — where Muhammad filled the wells along the route for the Muslims to defeat the powerful Quraish army
 * — new city under construction, as of now mainly golf courses and luxury hotels
 * — new city under construction, as of now mainly golf courses and luxury hotels
 * — new city under construction, as of now mainly golf courses and luxury hotels

Other destinations

 * &mdash; splendid Nabataean ruins akin to Petra
 * — Ruins of a former Jewish oasis town that was the site of a major battle in 628 CE.
 * — Ruins of a former Jewish oasis town that was the site of a major battle in 628 CE.

Talk
Arabic is the official language of the region. However, due to pilgrims coming from all over the world most if not all major world languages are spoken, especially Urdu, Hindi, Bengali and English.

Get in

 * King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah is the primary gateway to the region as well as the rest of Saudi Arabia.
 * Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz Airport
 * Ta’if Regional Airport

Get around
A new high-speed rail line, the Haramain line, has been built on a Mecca-Jeddah-Medina route. There is also stations at Jeddah King Abdulaziz International Airport and the planned King Abdullah Economic City.

Stay safe
Conservative clothing is not optional when traveling through here, especially for women. Women are strongly advised to wear a hijab, or head covering, and need to wear long pants and conservative upper-wear. Men are advised to be equally cautious in appearance.