Buraydah (بريدة) is a city in the Nejd region of Saudi Arabia. It is the capital of Qassim (Gassim) province, and the names are often used interchangeably on timetables and signage.

Traders at the date market

Understand

Buraydah has the unenviable reputation of being the most conservative town in all Saudi Arabia. Women are advised to dress conservatively, this means wearing an abayah and covering the face.

Get in

Qassim Regional Airport (ELQ) is the region's airport, which is about 30 km out of Buraydah and Unayza.

Riyadh, the kingdom's capital, is 320 km away. There is not much scenery between the two cities, but the road network is good for travel.

High-speed trains operated by Saudi Railways connect with Riyadh several times a week. Trains call at 1 Al Qassim Railway Station, which is almost 20 km northeast of the city.

Buy

For a different kind of commerce, you can go to this local shopping mall

The city is known for its high quality dates. The dates can be bought from the market near al-Khubaib.

Sleep

There are several hotels. Other than that, furnished apartments are available but generally not advised, and they are usually reserved for families and do not accept single men.

• 1 Mövenpick Hotel Qassim (موفنبيكْ القصيم) (On King Khaled Road), ☏ +966 16 316 9999. (updated Mar 2017)