General Information

Currency

Foreign currency can be exchanged at any bank. The monetary unit is the Saudi Riyal. The average exchange rate is: 1Saudi Riyal = 0.266638 USD Dollars.

Passport and Visa requirements

All visitors to Saudi Arabia must hold a valid passport. Citizens of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates do not require visas for entry into Saudi Arabia. All other citizens require a valid visa. For business an entry visa is mandatory.

All prospective visitors must obtain a No Objection Certificate or letter of invitation in the first instance, issued through a local sponsor. Visa applications should be made to Saudi embassies abroad. Visitors’ passports should be valid for at least three months and must be accompanied by photographs, sponsor’s NOC or letter of invitation and a supporting letter from the visitors employer. Multiple re-entry visas are not usually granted.

Travel Restrictions

Travelers to the Kingdom may not carry alcohol, firearms, pork products, religious items, or pornographic materials. Prescription drugs should be carried in their original labeled containers.

BUSINESS HOURS

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is 3 hours ahead of GMT and 8 hours ahead of U.S. eastern standard time. The work week in Saudi Arabia is from Saturday through Wednesday, with the weekend on Thursday and Friday. Friday is the Muslim holy day of the week. Government offices in the Kingdom are open Saturday through Wednesday from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. All government offices and businesses close during prayer time, which occurs five times a day. Prayer times are listed in the daily newspapers.

Telephone Codes for Major Areas in the Kingdom

Country Code for Saudi Arabia +966

• Riyadh (1)
• Jeddah, Makkah, Taif (2)
• Dammam, Dhahran, Jubail, Hofuf (3)
• Yanbu, Tabuk, Madinah  (4)
• Cellular (5)
• Hail, Al-Qaseem, Al-Majmaa’h  (6)
• Abha, Najran  (7)

Tousristic Sites

Saudi Arabia has a number of tourist areas visited by a large number of citizens for recreation during there leisure time. Through domestic tourism, citizens who come to know their country, including the tourist areas, the habit, the traditions and the architectural styles which distinguish each area. A tourist area is one which draws the visitor to its places of interest and beauty whether man-made or natural.

Tourist areas:

1. Coastal areas: These are areas which have sea fronts such as Jeddah in the Western Region and Dammam and Alkhobar in the East.
2. Areas of natural beauty: such as Taif, Al Baha and Abha.
3. Historical sites: such as Mada'in Salih in Diriyah which are renown for thier antiquity.

Show Catalogue

The show catalogue will be printed in English and will contain general information, a layout plan of the stands, an entry from each exhibitor, an exhibitor's complete contact information and advertisements. The Exhibitors' attention is drawn to the advantages to be gained from advertising in the catalogue will be retained by visitors and used as a source of reference after the event.