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| Entry Regulations / General Information |
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Entry for German Nationals |
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Travellers must hold a visa; for the application a national passport valid for at least a further six months must be submitted. Visas for female travellers are only issued after approval from the Saudi Arabian Foreign Office has been obtained. Tourist visas are not issued. Application without an agent.
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Geographical Location |
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Saudi Arabia covers the major part of the Arabian peninsula. To the north, it is bordered by Jordan and Iraq, to the east by Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and the Persian Gulf, to the southeast and south by Oman, and to the south by Yemen; to the west, it is bounded by the Red Sea.
Total area: 2,240,000km².
Administrative divisions: 13 provinces (mintaqat) - Al Bahah, Al Hudud ash Shamaliyah, Al Jawf, Al Madinah, Al Qasim, Ar Riyad, Ash Sharqiyah (Eastern Province), Asir, Ha`il, Jizan, Makkah, Najran, Tabuk.
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Population |
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Population: approximately 21.5 million.
Cities (approximate numbers): Riyadh (Ar Riyad - capital) 4.8 million; Jeddah 3.2 million; Makkah (Mecca, place of pilgrimage) 1.4 million; Medina 900,000; Damman 770,000; Taif 520,000.
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Language |
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The country's official language is Arabic. English is spoken in the hotels and in large offices. However, business contracts must invariably be written in Arabic.
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Time Difference |
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Central European Time (CET) +2 hours.
During European summer time the time difference is +1 hour.
In everyday life, the difference between Islamic and European time (in Saudi Arabia, the day already begins at sunset, i.e. the night precedes the day) is negligible. In the cities, at least, the European way of counting the hours (beginning at midnight) has been adopted.
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Electricity |
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In the major cities, both 110V alternating current and - frequently - 220V alternating current, 60Hz, are used. Please note that there are frequent fluctuations in current; electric voltage may drop by 10-20 per cent. Although European electrical appliances are often equipped with plugs which fit the local sockets, travellers are advised to invariably carry an adapter.
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Postal Service |
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Airmail to Europe takes approximately one week to arrive.
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Telephone |
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The international dialling code for long-distance calls from Western Europe to Saudi Arabia is 00966; in the case of calls from Saudi Arabia to Western Europe, the prefix "00" must be dialled prior to the relevant international country code (for example in the case of calls to Germany: 00-49).
EMERGENCY NUMBERS: Emergency call 112, ambulance 997, fire 998, police 999.
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Mobile Phones |
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Mobile network technologies: GSM 900.
Information for users of mobile phones registered with German network providers: Mobile phones connected to the E-Plus, O2, T-Mobile or Vodafone networks can be used due to international roaming agreements. Travellers intending to use other mobile phones are advised to contact their network provider for detailed information.
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Internet |
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Country code suffix: .sa
Internet cafés are available in the cities.
In Saudi Arabia internet access is controlled by the state. There are filters which prevent the access to undesired internet pages.
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Public Holidays |
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23 September (National Holiday)
Friday is the weekly rest-day, i.e. the weekend begins at 12p.m. on Thursday and ends at 6a.m. on Saturday.
The dates of the Islamic public holidays change from year to year. Business travellers should note that Saudi Arabian business partners are sometimes only available for business negotiations for some hours every day during the Ramadan period and in the period between the celebration of the end of the Ramadan month and the feast of sacrifice.
The main holiday season ranges from around mid-July to mid-September.
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Opening Hours |
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Banks: Sat to Wed 8:30a.m.-12p.m. and 5p.m.-8p.m., Thurs 8:30a.m.-12p.m.;
Public offices: Sat to Thurs 8a.m.-2p.m.;
Shops: daily 9a.m.-12p.m., 4p.m.-10p.m.
Most supermarkets are open continuously during the day; some are also open on Fridays (some supermarket chains are open 24 hours a day, e.g. Panda, Euromarche and Tamimi).
During the Ramadan period shops close earlier, or the opening hours are postponed until night-time. Opening hours are also limited during the month of pilgrimage.
Moreover business activity is interrupted for 35 minutes each by the five times of prayer per day (shops are closed, there is no hotel service, telephone calls are not taken). The times of prayer, which change daily according to the season are listed in the daily papers.
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Clothes |
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Light, airy and easily washable summer clothes are appropriate throughout the year, but travellers should also take woollen clothes for the mornings and evenings and when travelling during the cooler seasons (depending on the region). Good sunglasses are indispensable.
Travellers visiting Jeddah are recommended to take swimming costumes and bathing shoes, as it is possible to go swimming at the "Creek" and on the Red Sea coast about 40 km north of the city (please note that women must be fully dressed when going for a swim).
Business travellers should invariably dress neatly; i.e. they should always wear jacket and tie.
Throughout the country, all women - including female tourists - must wear the customary black cape, the so-called abaya, and cover their hair with a headscarf. If this regulation is not observed, sanctions may be imposed by the religious guardians, the Mutabbahs. At some embassies it is possible for travellers to borrow such capes.
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© 2001 All rights reserved TIP Gesellschaft für Touristik-Informations-Programme mbH, München Last updated: 14.03.2007 - Proposals, hints and contact - Copyright
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