Jeddah Riyadh
History
As well as being Saudi Arabia’s most cosmopolitan and liberal city, Jeddah is also its commercial centre, with a huge port on the Red Sea. Rising to prominence from the 7th century AD onwards, it is the main gateway city to Mecca, the holiest place in Islam, and has seen pilgrims flock here from around the world for centuries. The Al-Balad historic area was once