Reem International Circuit - Международна Писта Рим

Reem International Circuit  is Saudi Arabia’s only permanent motor racing circuit, nestling in the multi-coloured sand dunes west of the capital Riyadh.  

The brainchild of one of the country’s most prominent racing drivers, Abdulaziz Al Faisal, the circuit has been home to the Porsche GT3 Middle East Championship in past years but today hosts mainly national events.

This track takes its name from a rare type of deer called Al Reem, which has its natural habitat in the Khubayb Al Reem dunes in which the circuit sits.  For those heading out of Riyadh along the dusty, Makkah Highway, the circuit’s eventual arrival on the horizon must be akin to an oasis, though this one contains petrolheads rather than water.

Al Faisal first dreamed of the circuit in 2005, when he returned to Saudi Arabia after graduating from the Formula BMW Academy in Bahrain.  His dream was to build his own circuit and, as the son of Prince Turki, the former director general of Saudi Arabia's intelligence agency, he had the necessary connections to make it a reality. His uncle, Bandar, owns part of the land on which Reem is built and came on board as an investor, with the pair employing family friend Raed Abuzinadah to design the new circuit.  

Abuzinadah describes himself as "a race driver who happens to also be an architect", though this was to be his first effort at circuit design.  He spent two years living on the site planning exactly where everything should be constructed among the dunes.

"My eyes were in tears when I was given the site," he told Middle Eastern news agency The National. "I didn't know where to start because it was such an unbelievable variation of sand dunes. I built a tent and lived here for two years. At night, it would get so dark I couldn't even see my hands, but I would just walk around outside, trying to feel where the main building should be. I would talk to it, saying 'You think you are a tough job, huh? Well, I'm still going to build you'."

And ‘build you’ he did, with a final layout said to be very loosely inspired by the Nürburgring (though presumably the Grand Prix circuit rather than the legendary Nordschleife).  Built to FIA Grade 3 standards, the circuit incorporates a 12-turn, 2.36 miles (3.8 km) main course, a drag strip and several shorter circuit variations, including an oval. A separate karting facility is located behind the main paddock

The circuit’s official opening took place on March 5, 2008, with the circuit going on to host the Saudi National Radical Championship, Zain Lotus-Cup Middle East, Mini Cup Saudi Arabia, Porsche GT3 Middle East Championship, Chevrolet Super-Cars Middle East Championship, Saudi Federation Karting Championship and other club racing championships.

Getting There

Reem International Circuit is located near to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia.  Riyadh is served by the King Khaled International Airport, which is located about 22 miles (35 km) north of the city and handles both domestic and international flights.

The circuit is located 76 kilometres (47 mi) west of Riyadh on the Makkah Highway.  Take Exit 11 and follow the road south to the track.

Камъните Антар и Абла -stone of antar ibn shaddad

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In Qassim lies two innocuous stones that serve as a reminder of the famous Arab knight Antar bin Shaddad, subject of one of the greatest love stories of the Arab World.
To promote tourism in the area, local authorities have organized regular activities to attract visitors looking for a unique experience.

Antara and Nasla
The stones, called Antara and Nasla, lie northwest of Buraidah in the town of Ghaf Al-Jawa.
 Isolated from the surrounding mountains, they have resisted environmental and climatic conditions and still stand strong.
 Antar used to tie his horse to the rock named after him before meeting his beloved Abla, who would eagerly wait for him at Nasla.

Nasla also features Thamudic writings and petroglyphs that have recorded the region’s history and daily lives of inhabitants over the first and second centuries AD.

The beauty of the historic rocks has drawn attention due to their conical shape naturally sculpted by wind and other climatic factors over the ages.
Antara, who was born in the first quarter of the sixth century AD and was also a noted poet, recorded his love for the Qassim region and his beloved in his works. 

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В Касим се крият два безвредни камъка, които служат като напомняне за известния арабски рицар Антар бин Шаддад, обект на една от най-великите любовни истории на арабския свят.
За популяризиране на туризма в района местните власти организират редовни дейности за привличане на посетители, търсещи уникално преживяване.

Антара и Насла
Камъните, наречени Антара и Насла, се намират северозападно от Бурайда в град Гаф Ал-Джава.
Изолирани от околните планини, те са се противопоставили на екологичните и климатични условия и все още са силни.
Антар обичал да връзва коня си на скалата, кръстена на него, преди да се срещне с любимата си Абла, която с нетърпение ще го чака в Насла.

Насла също така съдържа татуистки писания и петроглифи, които са записали историята на региона и ежедневието на жителите през първия и втория век от новата ера.

Красотата на историческите скали е привлякла вниманието поради коничната им форма, естествено изваяна от вятъра и други климатични фактори през вековете.
Антара, който е роден през първата четвърт на шести век сл. Н. Е. И също е бил известен поет, е записал любовта си към региона Касим и своята любима в своите творби.

Ferry from Port Sudan to Saudi Arabia

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Al Wahbah crater-кратерът ал уахба

Al Wahbah Crater , also Maqlaʿ Ṭamiyyah, is a volcanic crater, which is about 250 kilometres (160 miles) away from Ta'if, on the western edge of the Harrat Kishb basalt plateau in the Hejazi region of Saudi Arabia. The Harrat Kishb plateau contains many volcanic cones. It is 250 m (820 ft) deep and 2 km (1.2 mi) in diameter. The bottom of the crater is covered with white sodium phosphate crystals.Кратерът Al Wahbah, също Maqlaʿ Ṭamiyyah, е вулканичен кратер,който е на около 250 километра (160 мили) от Таиф, на западния край на базалтовото плато Харат Кишб в района на Хеджази в Саудитска Арабия.Платото Харат Кишб съдържа много вулканични конуси.  Дълбоко е 250 м (820 фута) и в диаметър 2 км (1,2 мили).Дъното на кратера е покрито с бели кристали натриев фосфат.

Measuring 4km wide and 250-meters deep, the sprawling Al Wahba crater is one of Saudi Arabia’s most dramatic natural wonders: a vast hollow with an opaque lake at its heart.

Carved into the western edge of the Hafer Kishb basalt plateau, the crater is around 250km and a two-hour drive north of Taif, or about a four-hour drive from Jeddah.
The lunarlike landscape offers a near-otherworldly experience for those who come to climb it – complete with glorious views over the desert from the crater’s rim.

But as wonderful as the views are from above, the real magic happens when you climb down into the heart of the crater.
 In the center of the bowl, you’ll find white sodium phosphate crystals that create a glittering crust visible from the sky.
 This salt-bed transforms into a pearly lake whenever rain gathers in the hollow, fringed by the shrubs and palms that dot the crater’s rim.
A dried lava field can also be seen snaking away from the northern edge of the hollow.
The crater was once thought to have been formed by a meteorite crashing to earth, but research by geologists in the 1960s revealed Al Wahbah to be a maar crater.
These shallow hollows are caused by volcanic eruptions that occur when groundwater comes into contact with hot lava.

Locals, however, have their own legend of Al Wahbah’s creation.
 According to the tale, the area once held two mountains: Tamia and Cotton.
 One night, after a flash of lightning illuminated Cotton’s beauty, Tamia fell in love with him and vowed to uproot herself to be closer to her beloved.
But before she could reach him, her mountain-cousin Shelman became jealous and shot her with an arrow, sending her crashing to the ground.
 The crater was formed by her fall.
How to visit the Wahbah Crater

To visit, take the Wahbah crater road leading to the site – it’s paved, so no 4x4 vehicle necessary – and stop in the car park.
 
From here, you can access the visitor centre with its small museum, and a few covered vantage points ideal for picnicking.
For visitors making the descent into the crater’s salt-crusted base, there is a rough trail to follow with steps hewn into the rock.
 
Even in winter ensure you bring plenty of water and sturdy hiking boots and don’t expect to have a mobile phone signal this far out.
It’s best to make the trip either early or late in the day and during the cooler winter months, as summer can see temperatures here top 50°C, making the 45-minute hike down and 90-minute hike back up significantly more of a challenge.

For those not making the descent, it takes up to three hours to hike the circumference of the crater’s rim.
 It’s also worth visiting the nearby lava fields that are a
10-minute drive away.

Although there isn’t a designated campsite area, overnight camping is possible, and the serenity of the desert with the absence of light pollution makes Al Wahbah an ideal spot for stargazing.

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Разпростиращ се на 4 километра и дълбок 250 метра, разтегнатият кратер Al Wahba е едно от най-драматичните природни чудеса на Саудитска Арабия: огромна котловина с непрозрачно езеро в сърцето си.

Изсечен в западния край на базалтовото плато Хафер Кишб, кратерът е на около 250 километра и на два часа път с кола северно от Таиф, или на около четири часа път с кола от Джеда.
Лунният пейзаж предлага почти отвъдно изживяване за онези, които идват да го изкачат - пълен с прекрасна гледка към пустинята от ръба на кратера.

Но колкото и прекрасни да са гледките отгоре, истинската магия се случва, когато се спуснете в сърцето на кратера.
В центъра на купата ще намерите бели кристали натриев фосфат, които създават блестяща кора, видима от небето.
Това солено легло се превръща в перлено езеро, когато дъждът се събира в хралупата, ограден от храсти и палми, които осеяват ръба на кратера.
Изсушено поле от лава също може да се види да се отдава далеч от северния край на хралупата.
Някога се смяташе, че кратерът е образуван от метеорит, който се срутва на земята, но изследванията на геолозите през 60-те години разкриват, че Ал Уахба е кратер от маар.
Тези плитки котловини са причинени от вулканични изригвания, които възникват при контакт на подземните води с гореща лава.

Местните жители обаче имат своя легенда за създаването на Ал Уаба.
Според приказката районът някога е държал две планини: Тамия и Памук.
Една нощ, след като светкавица просветляла красотата на Котън, Тамия се влюбила в него и се зарекла да се изкорени, за да бъде по-близо до любимия си.
Но преди да успее да го достигне, нейният братовчед от планината Шелман ревнува и я стреля със стрела, пращайки я да се разбива на земята.
Кратерът е образуван от нейното падане.
Как да посетите кратера Wahbah

За да посетите, вземете кратерния път Wahbah, водещ до мястото - той е асфалтиран, така че не е необходимо превозно средство 4x4 - и спрете на паркинга. Оттук можете да получите достъп до посетителския център с неговия малък музей и няколко закрити гледни точки, идеални за пикник.




За посетителите, които се спускат в подсладената от солта основа на кратера, има груба пътека, която да се следва с изсечени в скалата стъпала. Дори през зимата се уверете, че носите много вода и здрави туристически обувки и не очаквайте да имате сигнал за мобилен телефон толкова далеч.



Най-добре е пътуването да се осъществи рано или късно през деня и през по-хладните зимни месеци, тъй като лятото може да види температурите тук да достигне 50 ° C, което прави 45-минутния преход надолу и 90-минутния поход значително по-предизвикателство .



За тези, които не слизат, отнема до три часа, за да измине обиколката на ръба на кратера. Също така си струва да посетите близките полета с лава, които са на 10 минути път с кола.



Въпреки че няма обособена зона за къмпинг, възможно е нощувка на къмпинг и спокойствието на пустинята с липсата на светлинно замърсяване прави Ал Уаба идеално място за гледане на звезди.

Volcanoes of Saudi Arabia

The lava fields of the Harrat Khaybar
There is a place in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia which is like no other in the world.
Whereas it is not well-known Saudi Arabia has volcanoes, even plenty of volcanoes including active ones.
 Volcanic activity is related to hot spot activity on the Arabian Plate which was uplifted on the eastern side of the Red Sea rift.
The basaltic lava fields in the western part of the country are called harrat.
 They cover about 180 000 square km and extend from Turkey to Yemen in the south.
One of the largest volcanic fields is known as Harrat Khaybar, named after the city which lays on its western side.
Its ancient and recent lava flows spread between the provinces of Madinah and Ha’il, on the northwest of the city of Madinah, and cover more than 14 000 square kilometers.
 It contains a 100-kilometer-long north-south oriented line of volcanic vents including scoria cones, lava domes, maars, basalt lava flows, and the only stratovolcano
 (built up by many layers (strata) of hardened lava)
 in the Harrat of western Arabia, the Jebel Qidr.
The Harrat Khaybar is still active as testified at least eight eruptions that took place during Islamic era
 (less than 1500 years old).
These include the prominent 55-kilometer-long Habir lava flow and flows from Jabal Qidr which present lava flows that have till today a fluid aspect.
 However, only one eruption is recorded in historic memory from early Islamic times during the 7th century CE
(1st century H).

The white volcanoes

But the jewel of the Harrat Khaybar is to be found in its center where lay a very rare kind of volcanoes made of silica-rich called comendite which give them a whitish color.
 The two largest are the Jebel Abiadh and the Jebel Bayda whose grandiose majesty revealed by satellite images is even more stunning once on site.
Jebel Abiadh (literally “white mount”) is the highest crater of the harra with 2093 meters of altitude and the Jebel Bayda
 (in Arabic the feminine of “white mount”)
 is the largest with 1,5 kilometers of diameter.
As shown on the satellite images the center of the Harrat Khaybar is not only about the clear colors of the white volcanoes as other volcanic formations brought with many shades of other types of lava, ranging from creamy ocher of Jebel Bayda, to shades of red and brown of Jebel Al-'Aqir, until the deep dark lava flows of Jebel Qidr.
 The subsequent mixing lava flows created fantastic patterns of shades on the ground in between the craters.
The contrast is the most striking where the whitish creamy lava of the Jebel Bayda meets the deep dark one of the Jebel Qidr.
A track leads to the edge of both lava flows where it is possible to stand on this volcanic border having one foot on each type of lava.
The creativity of nature is not limited to a wide range of colors but also marvelously attested by the incredible variety of volcanoes shapes that can be found in the Harrat Khaybar.
  From a high viewpoint it is possible to admire the elegantly spread silhouette of Jebel Bayda, the Fujiyama-like volcanic cone of Jebel Qidr, and the fancy hat-shaped of Jebel Al-'Aqir.
It is possible to reach safely some of the craters by foot in order to take the most of the out-of-this-world sights this place offers.
Local Bedouins drive up the sides of the Jebel Bayda with theirs pickups but it is rather advisable to go for a short hike uphill instead.
The sides of Jebel Abiadh are definitely to steep for car but the southern slope of the volcanic cone is just about gentle enough to allow a relatively safe (although slippery) climb up to the crater.
And the viewpoint from the summit of Jebel Abiadh is absolutely worth the effort.
This volcano being the highest one peaking up at 2093 meters of altitude its offers stunning sights on the surrounding landscapes that seem to be from another world.
Given the difficulties to reach the center of the Harrat Khaybar the while volcanoes used to be a desert place for long but nowadays some Bedouins leave there and visitors are not uncommon.
 As a reminder of this no-longer-so-far human presence, camels are even found all around the area

How to visit the White Volcanoes
​A tough terrain
It is very important to note that reaching the white volcanoes by car implies driving through 50 kilometers of lava fields where Bedouins have dig deep tracks that are the only option since the ground in between tracks is covered with sharp basalt rocks that would shred any tire after few kilometers or even damage the bottom of the car.
Moreover, many tracks led to dead-ends so proper and accurate planning has to be done before any trip there and guidance from locals have to be taken into account seriously.
​Guides organizing trip to the White Volcanoes
Our strong advice is to visit the White Volcanoes with a tour guide who knows the area and has the proper equipment to ensure a safe trip.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Volcanoes_of_Saudi_Arabia