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

• 1 Al Hada
• 2 Badr — where Muhammad filled the wells along the route for the Muslims to defeat the powerful Quraish army
• 3 Jeddah
• 4 King Abdullah Economic City — new city under construction, as of now mainly golf courses and luxury hotels
• 5 Mecca
• 6 Medina
• 7 Taif
• 8 Yanbu — renowned for its picturesque waterfront

Other destinations

The Kaaba in Mecca

• 1 Madain Saleh — splendid Nabataean ruins akin to Petra
• 2 Plain of Arafat
• 3 Khaybar — 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 (JED ^IATA) in Jeddah is the primary gateway to the region as well as the rest of Saudi Arabia.
• Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz Airport (MED ^IATA)
• Ta’if Regional Airport (TIF ^IATA)

Get around

High speed train

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.