2020 GeoEx Catalog

DESIGN PICS / NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC IMAGE COLLECTION

New �  Saudi Arabia  KINGDOM AT A CROSSROADS TOURING | 13 DAYS, OR 15 WITH OPTIONAL ABU DHABI EXTENSION · GROUP

T  here is much more to Saudi Arabia than Islam and oil, as the traveler sees firsthand with a week or two of peregrinating about the kingdom—something that has become a little easier now that the once-tribal nation is opening to tourism. Islamic traditions remain strong, and leaders are pouring in funds to support the arts. The burgeoning art scene is just one unexpected gem to be found among the ultra-modern cities, massive deserts, and ancient wonders that dot the country. On this fine journey,

world through the eyes of young artists and get to know the mega-metropolis of Riyadh, whose old souk abounds with such items as frankincense burners and brass coffee- roasting pans. In the agriculturally rich Qassim Province, we pass date palms and pomegranate orchards on our way to mud-brick villages full of history. Saudi Arabia’s newest UNESCO World Heritage Site, we learn, isn’t new at all: the rock art of Jubbah reveals 3,000-year-old inscriptions in Thamudic script, known to be the most ancient on the Arabian Peninsula. We venture past wild sandstone forma- tions and through the red dunes of Wadi Hesma by four- by-four, an experience few Westerners have yet to enjoy. To see more of the region, we offer an optional extension to the United Arab Emirates capital to appreci- ate the masterpiece-filled Louvre Abu Dhabi.

we take in the range of old and new, near and far-flung, forging con- nections along the way with local folks who are happy—and often surprised—to see us in their land. Starting in the melting pot of Jeddah, we stroll through its historic heart, Al Balad, formerly a major port for goods and pilgrims en route to Mecca. We discover Abha’s contemporary art

GRAPHEAST / ALAMY

oct. 26–nov. 7, 2019; nov. 13–25, 2019; feb. 8–20, 2020; nov. 7–19, 2020 from $11,665

Day 1  arrive in Jeddah ✦  2  Jeddah explorations ✦  3 & 4  fly to Abha, art scene ✦  5–7  Riyadh discovery, Diriyah ✦  8  Qassim Province ✦ 9  Jubbah and Sakaka ✦  10  Dawmat al Jandal ✦  11 Wadi Hesma, Caves of Jethro excursion ✦  12  Tabuk, fly to Jeddah ✦  13  depart. ABOVE  The red-sand desert and oddly shaped limestone formations of the northwestern Tabuk Province are similar to the geologic pomp found just across the border in Jordan at Wadi Rum.

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