- travelsportblog
FIFA World Cup 2022 Qualified Team: Saudi Arabia
National Team
The first time Saudi Arabia played at the World Cup was in USA 1994 where they reached the round of 16. They appeared 4 more times since then, but never got out of the group stages. Majed Abdullah is regarded as the best Saudi player of all time. He scored 72 times in 117 games.
Salem Al Dawsari plays on the wing and is in the form of his life. He is the key for Saudi Arabia to get out of Group C which features both Mexico and Argentina.
Touring Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia's official language is Arabic but English is taught in schools and is widely used for business purposes. Anytime except from April to October is a great time to visit Saudi Arabia due to the extreme heat.
The national dish is called kabsa.
This dish is heavily spiced with rice, lamb/chicken and served with vegetables and potatoes.
The most prized meat dish in Saudi Arabia is camel meat usually reserved for special occasions. The khobz is an Arabic flatbread served with every meal in Saudi Arabia insert photo.
This two layered flat bread maybe cooked in a traditional oven.
Sayadiya is a fish dish cooked with rice and vegetables that originated from Red Sea region of Egypt.
If you are vegan there is a famous dish called Foul. This is stewed fava beans spiced with cumin and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil.
Also vegans can enjoy vegetable samosas served during Ramadan (check out our article on Ramadan around the Middle East for more traditions and dishes!).
If you want an upgrade on Mountain Dew try Miranda Citrus.
Saudi Arabia has banned the sale of alcohol, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy non alcoholic champagne. This delicious bubbly is made with apple and orange juice with mint springs and lemon.
A good place to start your tour of Saudi Arabia is the Kingdom Centre Tower in Riyadh. At 300 meters high this skyscraper has a Skybridge where you can see the whole of Riyadh. It only takes 90 seconds by elevator to reach the Skybridge.
If that is too scary for you, the Kingdom Centre has a wealth of shopping and dining for you to explore and enjoy. There is also the Four Seasons Hotel located at the tower and a cinema complex to catch the latest Hollywood movies.
The second holiest and largest mosque in Islam is called Masjid Nabawi. You should give yourself at least 3 hours for this tour. In the green dome over the center of the mosque lies the tomb of the prophet Mohammed. The mosque was built by Mohammed in 622 ad.
The Jeddah Corniche stretches for 4.2 km along the coastline of Jeddah. The corniche hosts some great attractions like the King Fahuds fountain, the floating mosque and the Fakieh aquarium.
This mighty Middle Eastern country is starting to make large impacts in the world of sport. Maybe this year will be the year the national team will go far in the World Cup tournament?
