Hejaz Voyage Tips and guide

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.

Map of Hejaz

• 21.368640.28471 Al Hada
• 23.7838.7905562 Badr — where Muhammad filled the wells along the route for the Muslims to defeat the powerful Quraish army
• 21.54277839.1727783 Jeddah - Saudi Arabia's second city
• 22.439.0833334 King Abdullah Economic City — new city under construction, as of now mainly golf courses and luxury hotels
• 21.422539.8261115 Mecca (Makkah) - the holiest city in Islam and the destination of the Hajj pilgrimage, entry prohibited to non-Muslims
• 24.4739.616 Medina - site of the Prophet's Mosque; the city is now open to all, but the Mosque remains off limits
• 21.26666740.4166677 Taif
• 24.08826438.0581948 Yanbu — renowned for its picturesque waterfront

• 26.81416737.94751 Hegra (Madain Saleh) — splendid Nabataean ruins akin to Petra
• 21.422539.8261672 Plain of Arafat
• 25.69861139.29253 Khaybar — Ruins of a former Jewish oasis town that was the site of a major battle in 628 CE.

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.

• 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)

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.

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.