Rediscovering Saudi Arabia: A Journey Through Time

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that I described New York Times Travel editor and photojournalist Stephen Hiltner in his excellent article Surprising, disturbing and surreal: wandering through Saudi Arabia It is almost unrecognizable compared to my childhood memories of the 60s and 70s and my repeat visits in 2009 and 2012.

Hiltner writes about his month-long overland journey from Jeddah to the Nabataean stone ruins, then to Samara (Stonehenge in Saudi Arabia), Riyadh, and the Asir region.

It highlights Joy of life The generosity of the Saudis he meets brings back memories of my own experience. His photographs beautifully capture Saudi Arabia’s stunning landscapes and rich cultural heritage. Admirably, he sticks to his journalistic credentials and does not shy away from tackling the country’s most controversial aspects, such as religious extremism and human rights abuses.

I was amazed when I saw his photos of the new luxury resorts in Saudi Arabia. I was lucky to stay where it is now Mandarin Oriental Al Faisaliah in Riyadh in 2012, but the new hotels are impressive.