|
Transportation
Information
|
|
|
Air
- Considering the long distances which separate the main towns of
the Kingdom, air travel can often prove to be the most convenient
and practical means within the borders. Saudi Arabian Airlines,
the flag carrier of he Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, operates to a vast
network of domestic and international destinations.
|
|
|
International
Airports - Saudi Arabia has 3 International airports: King
Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah, King Khaled
International Airport in Riyadh, and Dhahran International Airport
inDhahran. Saudi Arabian Airlines and a large number of
international airlines operate from these airports. A taxicab
service, a limousine service, and buses are available for
transfers between the airports and the city centre or hotels.
|
|
|
Buses -
A new and efficient bus service has been introduced by the Saudi
Arabian Public Transport Company (SAPTCO) to operate within and
between all the major towns in Saudi Arabia in addition to
international trips to some of the neighboring countries.
|
|
|
Taxi -
Taxi transport within the cities is common. Tariffs are reasonable
and government regulated.
|
|
|
Rail -
Six trains service with 1st Class airconditioned carriages runs
daily between Riyadh and Dammam on the Gulf Coast.
|
|
|
Car Rental -
Self-drive car rental is available in most cities in Saudi Arabia.
|
|
Basic
Information
|
|
Radio and
Television - The Saudi Ministry of Information supervises
radio and television services and broadcasts. In addition to the
main Arabic transmissions, there are radio broadcasts in many
different languages. Saudi Television has two channels; one
broadcasts solely in Arabic and the second is in English with a
news bulletin in French.
|
|
Official Holidays - Friday is
the weekly day of rest but government offices are also closed on
Thursdays. There are two public holidays every year; 'Id al-Fitr'
which is over a week long and 'Id al-Adha' which is ten days.
|
|
Working Hours
- Government working hours are generally from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30
p.m. Private business concerns are generally open from 9:30 a.m.
to 2:00 p.m. with an evening session from 4:00 p.m. or 5:00 p.m.
until 8:00 p.m.
|
|
Banking -
There are eleven licensed commercial banks operating in the
Kingdom. These are regulated and supervised by the Saudi Arabian
Monetary Agency (SAMA). The banks have a large branch network
spread throughout the Kingdom. Development of banking services was
further enhanced with the establishment of the Saudi Payments
Network (SPAN) with the participation of all banks in the Kingdom.
SPAN is connected to 1,800 ATM's and more than 15, 890 Points of
Sales (POS). Visitors to Saudi Arabia may use their VISA and
MASTERCARD to withdraw money directly through SPAN via its online
ATM's. They may also use these cards for POS's for payment of
their purchases. SAMA has provided further International services
such as VISA Plus Electron and CIRRUS Maestro to meet the
requirements of travelers both at the International airports and
in local markets.
|
|
Hospitals -
There are many general and specialized hospitals in the Kingdom,
as well as clinics, infirmaries and private clinics offering their
services to the public.
|
|
Currency -
The Saudi Arabian monetary unit is the Riyal which is divided into
100 halalahs. Notes are in 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500
Riyal denominations. The Riyal is quoted in US Dollars but is
based on Special Drawing Rights (SDR).
|
|
Telephone
Service - Direct dialing can be made without operator
assistance to more than 230 countries worldwide. Card Phone
service, Pager service, GSM Service and Phonogram service are
available.
Photo
Gallery.
If you want to view photo's of Jeddah.
|
©
2000, Jeddah Online!- All rights reserved, 