SAUDI ARABIA SAUDI ARABIA PRACTICAL GUIDE PRACTICAL GUIDE INTRODUCTION The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was founded in 1932 unifying the regions into one single State. In the heart of the Arabian Peninsula on the Asian continent, its territory of more than 2 million km2 and 13 provinces represent an unexpected land with landscapes never seen before by the Dakar Family. Engaged in a societal transformation program and welcoming major international events (concerts, Formula E, football matches, boxing game…), our country has its own normative system and culture. In order to better understand Saudi Arabia and to prepare your stay, you will find practical information in this short guide. Welcome to the Dakar Rally 3rd Chapter! 1) ADMINISTRATIVE SYSTEM • Official name: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia • Regime type: Monarchy (Saud dynasty) • Administrative capital: Riyadh • State religion: Sunni Islam • Head of State and the government: His Majesty King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Guardian of the Two Holy Places (Mecca and Medina) • Crown Prince: His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud ANKARA EREVAN TURKMENISTAN HisARMENIA RoyalBAKU Highness Prince Abdulaziz Bin Turki Al Faisal Al Saud • Chairman of the General Sports Authority: TADJIKISTAN • President of the Saudi Arabian TURKEYMotorsports Federation: His RoyalACHGABAT Highness Prince Khalid Bin SultanDUCHANBE Al Faisal Al Saud NICOSIA TEHRAN GREECE SYRIA KABUL Crest CYPRUS IRAQ Cashmere LEBANON DAMASCUS West Bank BAGHDAD AFGHANISTAN ISLAMABAD MEDITERRANEAN SEA AMMAN ISRAEL JORDAN KUWAIT IRAN Delhi CAIRO EGYPT KUWAIT A NEPAL SAUDI ra PAKISTAN Neom bia NEW DELHI n G ARABIA BAHREIN ulf EGYPT QATAR R ED RIAD ABU DUBAI Medina S E U.A.E A Jeddah MUSCAT INDIA Mecca OMAN Massira SUDAN Mumbai Hyderabad ARABIAN SEA ERITREA SANAA YEMEN KHARTOUM ASMARA Socotra Bangalore ETHIOPIA Gulf of Aden (Yemen) Laquedives Islands DJIBOUTI (India) SOUTH ADDIS- SUDAN ABEBA SOMALIA ©GEOATLAS 2019 COLOMBO DJOUBA MALDIVES 1 Ari Atoll Malé Atoll UGANDA MOGADISHU KENYA SAUDI ARABIA PRACTICAL GUIDE 2) GEOGRAPHY • Surface area: 2 250 000 km2 > 4 times bigger than France • Population: 33 000 000 inhabitants • Density: 15,5 inhabits per km2 • Time zone: GMT +3 • Arid climate: High temperatures during the day and steep drop at night (between -5 and 0°C) • Climate in January: In January, weather conditions in Saudi Arabia make it a good trip destination. The average temperatures you’ll face in January would be between 16.5°C and 25.5°C during the day, with exceptional possible peaks as low as 4°C and high as 39°C as observed in previous years. Nights can be colder especially in the desert and altitude. Depending on your exact destination, you can face more or less rain, the average amount of rain observed during January in Saudi Arabia is 10 mm and between 2 and 4 rainy days. Note that the gap in temperature between the different areas in the country is very high and there is always a chance of rain. VARIOUS GEOGRAPHIES • In the West: Red Sea coast / canyons (up to an altitude of 2000m in the North) • In the East: rocky and sandy plains / natural oil fields • In the South: Rub Al-Khali desert (650 000km2) / almost exclusively sand DARIYA © SEE SAUDIA AL ULA © SEE SAUDIA 3) SOCIETY • 57% of men and 43% of women • 65% of the population are under 26 years old • Between 30% and 40% of the population in major cities speak English 2 SAUDI ARABIA PRACTICAL GUIDE 4) LOCAL LIFE ALCOHOL, DRUGS AND PORK RESTRICTIONS • The import and consumption of alcohol and pork are formally prohibited in Saudi Arabia and are subject to legal proceedings. • Drug consumption is heavily penalized. SEXUALITY • Imported cultural products (DVDs, books, magazines…) must be compatible with local and decency laws (no explicit content). Any pornographic or erotic content of any sort is strictly forbidden. CLOTHING • Both men and women are asked to dress modestly in public, avoiding tight fitting clothing or clothes with profane language or images to respect the local culture. Women should cover shoulders and knees in public. You should also bring warm clothes, as the temperature can drop very low in the Saudi desert. • What protocol for women working for Dakar teams? The landscape is changing in Saudi Arabia and in many offices men and women work together. The rules of public displays of affection remain in place. Depending on the role it is advisable to seek local advice to establish if any protocols apply to maintain respect for local customs and laws. For women especially, clothing should not be tight fitting, unless a safety requirement, and should cover shoulders and knees in public. • What should women be wearing? The situation in Saudi Arabia is changing. If the wearing of abaya and hijab are no longer compulsory for expat women, we recommend that they wear the loose fitting abaya and the hijab headscarf in public to avoid causing offence. • Our recommendations: Regarding the climate in January and the local customs, we recommend : For men: warm clothing to protect from the cold in the desert. Trousers, medium length shorts and t-shirts/shirts in the cities and the bivouacs. For women : warm clothing to protect from the cold in the desert. Though it is not compulsory, we recommend woman to wear abayas or modest outfit outside the Dakar camp especially in small towns. BEHAVIOR AND TOURISM IN THE SAUDI CITIES • Individuals (men and women) can travel freely in the cities • Dakar participants (press, pilots…) will be able to visit safely the Saudi cities (start in Jeddah / finish near to Riyadh) DRIVING • All the international rules (license, respect speed limit…) are the same in Saudi Arabia. • Cars drive on the right, seatbelts are mandatory, and the vehicle must be insured. • Speed limits: 140 km on large highways / 120 km on smaller highways / 100 km on highways inside the cities • Individuals (men and women) can drive freely in the country • If involved in a road traffic accident, immediately call the Dakar organization, the local police forces, and in the event of an accident with severe injuries casualties please inform your local embassy. • Do not try to contest and wait for the help of the above-mentioned entities. • Make sure to subscribe to an all-risk insurance to cover all expenses in case of an accident. Please contact the Dakar Organization is you AL HIJR © SEE SAUDIA encounter any problem on the road. 3 SAUDI ARABIA PRACTICAL GUIDE MISCELLANEOUS • The usual greeting is a handshake. • Tips are not mandatory but recommended for restaurants and taxis (about 10%). RELIGION • Sunni Islam is the State religion, which has an impact on local life. • Islamic law (Shari’a) governs society in accordance with the principles of the Quran and the tradition. • Fives pillars of Islam: The profession of faith / Prayer / The Alms / The Fast / The pilgrimage to Mecca. • Hijra calendar: two weekend days on Friday and Saturday. • Five times a day, some shops and malls close for a few minutes for prayer. • Do not wear or display any political message (whether on a t-shirt or as an item in your car). • The holy cities of Mecca and Medina are strictly forbidden to non-Muslims. MOSQUE AL-HARAM © GETTYIMAGES © AL-HARAM MOSQUE 5) ECONOMY CURRENCY: SAUDI RIYAL (SAR) • 1 EUR = 4,2 SAR • 1 USD = 3,7 SAR At November 2019 - XE Devises • Dollars and euros are not accepted as payment (many currency exchange offices: airport and major cities). • Credit cards are widely used. COST OF LIVING (AVERAGE ON THE ENTIRE SAUDI TERRITORY) NEOM © MOHAMMED AL HOWITY - SEE SAUDI • Basic full meal: 10 to 12e (43-50 SAR) • Water bottle (1,5 L): about 0,5e (2-3 SAR) • Medium-range hotel in big cities: about 75e per night (330 SAR) • 1 L of gasoline (91): about 0,35e (1,45 SAR) • 1 L of gasoline (95): about 0.48e (2.07 SAR) • 1 L of Diesel: about 0.15e (0.65 SAR) JEDDAH © GETTYIMAGES 4 SAUDI ARABIA PRACTICAL GUIDE 6) TOURISM Since October 2019, Saudi Arabia has opened its doors wide to tourists from all over the world. Foreign tourists can now enter the country and discover the wonders of the countryside and the rich culture of the country. Below are some recommendations to visit the country. You can visit the website https://www.visitsaudi.com/en/ for more information. AN EXCEPTIONAL CULTURAL AND NATURAL HERITAGE WITH 5 UNESCO SITES • Ad Diriyah • Ha’il region rock art • Jeddah historical city • Al Hijr archaeological site (Mad’in Saleh - Al Ula) • Al-Ahsa oasis TYPICAL FOOD • Dates • Rice / Chickpeas / Cracked wheat • Lamb / Chicken • Pita bread • Arabic coffee and tea • Seafood (in coastal cities) AL ULA © H. BRIZARD - GETTYIMAGES 7) SPORT • The most popular sports are football and motorsports, basketball, boxing, tennis, wrestling... • Increase from 13% to 23% of sport practice • Gyms are widely available in big cities • Sports are largely mediatized on TV, web, social network… HA’IL © SEE SAOUDI 5 SAUDI ARABIA PRACTICAL GUIDE 8) COMMUNICATION • All social networks are free to be accessed everywhere. Saudi is one of the highest countries in terms of number of users in the world per capita for social media. • Phone calls via WhatsApp are blocked. But Skype, Facetime or Hangout calls are working perfectly • Huge usage on mobile devices to stream video and TV. • Access to the Internet is unrestricted, but certain websites are blocked as they go against local customs (explicit content). • National sim cards can be purchased locally. AL ULA © FAHAD AL TRISY - SEE SAOUDI NEOM © SEE SAOUDI 6 SAUDI ARABIA PRACTICAL GUIDE 9) COUNTRY LOGISTICS ROAD NETWORK • The road network is in very good condition and most of the big cities are well connected.