The most popular car rental agents in Riyadh:
- Hertz (Tel: +966 9200 05561)
- Budget (Tel: +966 11 201 5029)
- Sixt (Tel: +966 11 492 8080)
- Thrifty (Tel: +966 11 220 5149)
- Payless (Tel: +966 11 207 4833)
Riyadh Mini Guide
The capital city and largest in Saudi Arabia is the city of Riyadh. With a population in the region of 6 million it is a substantial size. Named from the Arabic word for 'garden' due to the fertile area the city stands on.
The city can be traced back over 1100 years but the massive population growth has only occurred over the past 30 years where it has grown by 1000%.
The city is subject to a desert climate and temperatures can sore in summer months to highs around 50 degrees. Dust storms can also settle over the area making environmental condition quite harsh.
The population is a mixture of 60% Saudi Arabian and 40% mixture of other cultures.
Visiting the city you can partake in some local cuisine such as the Nejdi Kabsa or the Yemeni Mandi, however with such a large populace of mixed nationalities you will find a vast array of western restaurants catering for western food.
Museums are a popular choice with visitors and in the city you can visit the National Museum of Saudi Arabia and King Abdul Aziz Historical Centre.
The main arrival point for visitors to the city is
King Khalid International Airport, which lies 35 kilometres from the centre, and handles passenger numbers around 20 million every year.
When people come to the city many choose a hire car to get around due to the vast size and the convenience of having your own transportation. The city has a well-developed motorway system with the Eastern Ring Road connecting the north and south of the city.
Be very careful in Riyadh for nowhere is Saudi law more strictly enforced than there. There’s not a lot to do there as the city is really a large commercial centre however some of the history of the city is worth searching out if you have a hire car.
Masmak Fortress, important in the recapture of the city in 1902, is an interesting attraction. It has just been completely, and some say over renovated, so that it looks like new. There, a pictorial display together with artefacts documents the events that led to the foundation of the modern capital.