From: 76702.1202@CompuServe.COM (Charlie Smith)
Newsgroups: rec.travel
Subject: *NEW* TRAVEL INFORMATION -- SaudiArabia
Date: 12 Jan 1993 22:58:31 -0600
Organization: UTexas Mail-to-News Gateway
NNTP-Posting-Host: cs.utexas.edu

STATE DEPARTMENT TRAVEL INFORMATION - Saudi Arabia
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Saudi Arabia - Consular Information Sheet
 January 8, 1993

Embassy Location:  The U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, is 
located at Collector Road M, Riyadh Diplomatic Quarter. The mailing 
address is P.O. Box 94309, Riyadh 11693, or AMEMB, Unit 61307, APO 
AE 09803-1307.  The Embassy telephone number is (966-1) 488-3800.  
The Embassy fax number is (966-1) 488-7360.  The U.S. Consulate 
General in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, is located between Aramco 
Headquarters and Dhahran International Airport.  The mailing address 
is P.O. Box 81, Dhahran Airport 31932, or Unit 66803, APO AE 
09858-6803.  The telephone number is (966-3) 891-3200.  The fax 
number for the Consulate General in Dhahran is (966-3) 891-8332.  
The U.S. Consulate General in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, is located on 
Palestine Road, Ruwais.  The mailing address is P.O. Box 149, or 
Unit 62112, APO AE 09811-2112.  The telephone number is (966-2) 
667-0080.  The fax number for the Consulate General in Jeddah is 
(966-2) 669-3074.  The workweek in Saudi Arabia is Saturday through 
Wednesday.

Country Description:  Saudi Arabia is a traditional monarchy, 
governed by the Al-Saud family in consultation with a Council of 
Ministers appointed by the King.  Islamic law is the basis of the 
authority of the monarchy, and provides the conservative foundation 
of the country's customs and practices.  Saudi Arabia has a modern 
and well developed infrastructure and tourist facilities are widely 
available.

Entry Requirements:  Passports and visas are required.  Tourist 
visas are not available for travel to Saudi Arabia.  Visitors must 
have a business or personal sponsor.  Residents in Saudi Arabia 
generally must surrender their passports, and the passports of 
family members, to the Saudi sponsor while in the kingdom, and are 
required to get an exit/reentry visa each time they leave Saudi 
Arabia.  Visitors to Saudi Arabia generally obtain meningitis and 
cholera vaccinations prior to arrival.  A medical report is required 
to obtain a work and residence permit.  This includes a medical 
certification stating that the individual is free of AIDS.  
Temporary visitors need not present an AIDS-free certification.  For 
further information on entry requirements, travelers can contact the 
Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, 601 New Hampshire Ave., N.W., 
Washington, D.C. 20037, telephone (202) 333-4595; or a Saudi Arabian 
Consulate General in Los Angeles, telephone (213) 208-6566; New 
York, telephone (212) 752-2740; or Houston, telephone (713) 785-5577.

Exit Permission:  Residents in Saudi Arabia may not depart the 
country without obtaining an exit permit, which requires the 
approval of their Saudi sponsor.  U.S. consular officials are not 
able to sponsor an exit permit for a U.S. citizen under any 
circumstances.  A woman married to a Muslim must have her husband's 
permission for herself and her children to depart the country, even 
if they are U.S. citizens.

Medical Facilities:  Basic modern medical care and medicines are 
available in several hospitals and health centers in Saudi Arabia. 
Doctors and hospitals often expect immediate cash payment for health 
services.  U.S. medical insurance is not always valid outside the 
United States.  Supplemental medical insurance with specific 
overseas coverage has proved useful.  The international travelers 
hotline at the Centers for Disease Control, telephone (404) 
332-4559, has additional health information.

Information on Crime:  Crime is generally not a problem for 
travelers in Saudi Arabia.  However, useful information on 
safeguarding valuables and protecting personal security while 
traveling abroad is provided in the Department of State pamphlet, "A 
Safe Trip Abroad."  It is available from the Superintendent of 
Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402.

Alcohol and Drug Penalties:  Penalties for the import, manufacture, 
possession and consumption of alcohol or illegal drugs are strict 
and convicted offenders can expect jail sentences and fines.  Saudi 
officials make no exceptions.

Business Disputes:  Prior to the execution of a final contract, 
some business persons and contract employees of Saudi companies have 
obtained an independent translation of the Arabic-language contract, 
to ensure a full understanding of all terms, limits and agreements. 
Settlement of disputes depends on the type of agreement and the 
agency involved.  If the Saudi party in a business dispute files a 
complaint with the Saudi authorities, Saudi law permits barring the 
exit of the foreign party from the country until the dispute is 
settled.  Consular officers can provide lists of local attorneys to 
help settle business disputes, but ultimate responsibility for the 
resolution of disputes through the Saudi legal system lies with the 
parties involved.

General Standards of Conduct:  Islam pervades all aspects of life 
in Saudi Arabia.  It is the official religion of the country, and 
observance of any other religion is forbidden.  Non-Muslim religious 
services and articles such as crosses and Bibles are illegal.  
Travel to Mecca and Medina, the cities where the two holy mosques of 
Islam are located, is forbidden to non-Muslims.

The norms for public behavior in Saudi Arabia are extremely 
conservative.  The Saudi Embassy in Washington advises women to 
dress in a conservative fashion, wearing ankle-length dresses with 
long sleeves, and not to wear trousers in public.  In many areas of 
Saudi Arabia, particularly Riyadh and the central part of the 
kingdom, the religious police, known as mutawwa'in, pressure women 
to wear a full-length black covering known as an abaya and to cover 
their heads.  The result is that most women in these areas wear the 
abaya and carry a headscarf to avoid harassment.  Arab-American 
women, especially Muslims, face a greater risk of harassment about 
their dress.

Men and women who are beyond childhood years may not mingle in 
public, unless they are family or relatives.  Women are not allowed 
to drive vehicles or ride bicycles on public roads.  In public, 
music, movies and dancing are forbidden.

To ensure that conservative standards of conduct are observed, 
Saudi religious police have harassed, accosted or arrested 
foreigners, including U.S. citizens, for perceived dress code or 
other infractions.  While most incidents have resulted only in 
inconvenience or embarrassment, the potential exists for an 
individual to be physically harmed or deported.

Tips For Travelers:  The Department of State publication "Tips for 
Travelers to the Middle East and North Africa" is available from the 
Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, 
Washington D.C. 20402.  It contains general information on travel in 
the region.

Registration:  U.S. citizens who register at the Embassy or the 
Consulates General can obtain updated information on travel and 
security within Saudi Arabia.

 No. 93-023