In May of 1984, my father moved to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to start a new job as a graphic designer. Ramadan started on June 1st of that year. They got 10 days off from work leading up to Eid and so my father borrowed a station wagon, bought a Meed tour guide at Jarir bookstore, and set off to explore the west coast. He first drove to Jeddah. At the time, there was a lot of construction on the corinche. He enjoyed visiting the historic district.

From Jeddah, he drove to Taif, where he draw ancient rock art. There is an abundance of rock art in Saudi Arabia, including the UNESCO World Heritage rock art site in the Hail region.

From Taif, he drove to Abha.

In Abha he camped in the Asir National Park (and saw baboons!).

Nearby to the National Park is Jebel Sheba. According to Desert Drifters (1986) by Betty and Don Minden, “at the eastern edge, just below the summit, there is an authentic looking etching of a fertility maiden. It is rumored that the Queen of Sheba stayed at this hill for a year while on her way to visit King Solomon at Ophir.”

After Abha, my father drove to Najran, where a group posed for some photographs. After Najran, he made his way back to Riyadh, where he lived for the next 16 years.

Trips to Diriyah, “the first capital of the Saudi Dynasty, in the heart of the Arabian Peninsula, north-west of Riyadh. Founded in the 15th century, it bears witness to the Najdi architectural style, which is specific to the centre of the Arabian peninsula. In the 18th and early 19th century, its political and religious role increased, and the citadel at at-Turaif became the centre of the temporal power of the House of Saud and the spread of the Salafiyya reform inside the Muslim religion. The property includes the remains of many palaces and an urban ensemble built on the edge of the ad-Dir’iyah oasis.”

Trips out to the desert:

The Hejaz Railway:

Visiting Mada’in Salih: