It is evening and I am watching the news, flush with images of missiles tearing through Western Asia in a war that is well into its 23rd day. Feels strange it was only a few weeks ago I was exploring the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Never had I felt safer than in the futuristic cities of Riyadh and Jeddah. Or discovering the mysteries of UNESCO-listed Hegra and Jubbah. Or clambering over the butter smooth gigantic rocks of Shada Mountain and locking eyes with hundreds of camels at Buraidah, the world’s largest camel market, with a pit stop at the ancient port city of Yanbu on the Red Sea thrown in to add some blue into the desert mix.

All these were incredible parts of the Kingdom, but what’s Saudi Arabia without Mecca and Medina. And so, it was for me. Continue reading →