Travel Guide Saudi Arabia - Country Information

Coordinates: 25 00 N, 45 00 E
Population: 27,019,731
note: includes 5,576,076 non-nationals (July 2006 est.)
Religions: Muslim 100%
Languages: Arabic
Climate: harsh, dry desert with great temperature extremes
Elevation: lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m / highest point: Jabal Sawda' 3,133 m
Hazards: frequent sand and dust storms
Background Saudi Arabia: In 1902, ABD AL-AZIZ bin Abd al-Rahman Al Saud captured Riyadh and set out on a 30-year campaign to unify the Arabian Peninsula. A son of ABD AL-AZIZ rules the country today, and the country's Basic Law stipulates that the throne shall remain in the hands of the aging sons and grandsons of the kingdom's founder. Following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990, Saudi Arabia accepted the Kuwaiti royal family and 400,000 refugees while allowing Western and Arab troops to deploy on its soil for the liberation of Kuwait the following year. The continuing presence of foreign troops on Saudi soil after Operation Desert Storm remained a source of tension between the royal family and the public until the US military's near-complete withdrawal to neighboring Qatar in 2003. The first major terrorist attacks in Saudi Arabia in several years, which occurred in May and November 2003, prompted renewed efforts on the part of the Saudi government to counter domestic terrorism and extremism, which also coincided with a slight upsurge in media freedom and announcement of government plans to phase in partial political representation. As part of this effort, the government permitted elections - held nationwide from February through April 2005 - for half the members of 179 municipal councils. A burgeoning population, aquifer depletion, and an economy largely dependent on petroleum output and prices are all ongoing governmental concerns.

Summary of recommendations:All travelers should visit either their personal physician or a travel health clinic 4-8 weeks before departure.
Malaria: Prophylaxis with Lariam, Malarone, or doxycycline is recommended for Jizan, Al Madinah, Makkah, Asir, Najran, Tabuk, and Al Bahah provinces. No malaria risk in urban areas of Jeddah, Mecca, Medina, and Ta'if.
Vaccinations:
Meningococcal	Recommended for all travelers. Required during the Hajj (annual pilgrimage to Mecca).
Polio	Required for travelers under age 15 arriving from countries where polio still occurs. One-time booster recommended for any adult traveler who completed the childhood series but never had polio vaccine as an adult.
Hepatitis A	Recommended for all travelers
Influenza	Recommended for all travelers during the Hajj season
Typhoid	For travelers who may eat or drink outside major restaurants and hotels
Yellow fever	Required for all travelers arriving from a yellow-fever-infected area in Africa or the Americas. Not recommended otherwise.
Hepatitis B	For travelers who may have intimate contact with local residents, especially if visiting for more than 6 months
Rabies	For travelers who may have direct contact with animals and may not have access to medical care
Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR)	Two doses recommended for all travelers born after 1956, if not previously given
Tetanus-diphtheria	Revaccination recommended every 10 years