Asia: All about Saudi Arabia Trivia Quiz

Answer: 1932

Abd al Aziz ibn Abd ar-Rahman Al Saūd unified the tribes of Saudi Arabia into one state, and he made Riyadh the capital.

Answer: Masmak Fortress

Masmak Fortress was built in around 1865 out of mudbrick and clay. It was built during the Emirate of Jabal Shammar, or the Rashidi Emirate, a former state of the Arabian Peninsula which was established in the 1830s.

The Battle of Riyadh took place at Masmak Fortress in 1902, during the Unification War of Saudi Arabia which started that year. Saudi and Rashidi rebels fought. Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud, also known as Ibn Saud, successfully captured Riyadh here. The next morning he threw the head of Chief of Riyadh, Ibn Ajlan, to the citizens of Riyadh.

Answer: Dhahran

Dhahran is situated in Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. It is a major oil-producing city of the country.

In the 1930s oil was discovered in Dhahran. In 1935 the first oil well was constructed by Standard Oil, an American oil company and the largest of its time. Standard Oil created a branch of their company there, calling it the "Arabian American Oil Company" (ARAMCO). This is now owned by the Saudi Arabian government and is called the Saudi Arabian Oil Company, or Saudi Aramco.

Answer: Najran

Najran is the capital of the Najran Province, of southwest Saudi Arabia.

The area which is now Najran has been inhabited for around 4,000 years. Its proximity to the border of Yemen shows. In both architecture and local attitudes, Yemen's cultural influence is more apparent in Najran than anywhere else in Saudi Arabia.

Answer: Hijaz Mountains

Ta'if, also known as Taif and pronounced "Taayef" is located in Western Saudi Arabia. The city is situated slightly over 6,000 feet high. Ta'if was an Ottoman city from around 1517 until 1802, when it was recaptured by affiliates of the House of Saud.

There are two mountain ranges located on the west coast of the Arabian Peninsula. The Asir Mountains are in the south, and the Hijaz Mountains are in the north, and run along the east coast of the Red Sea.

The critically endangered Arabian leopard has been spotted in the Hijaz mountains. There are currently less than 200 Arabian leopards left in the wild. They are the smallest subspecies of leopard.

Answer: Roses

Ta'if blooms with roses in spring, around Wadi Mahram valley and surrounding areas. Because Ta'if is situated at such a high altitude in the mountains, the roses that grow here have a highly potent perfume.

Known locally as the "City of Roses" there are around 900 rose farms operating in Ta'if. These farms also produce "attar" (rose oil) and rose water. Al Gadhi Rose Factory is both the largest and oldest rose factory in the city.

The Al Gadhi family ran this business for nearly 100 years. To this day, travellers from the United Arab Emirates are happy to pay huge amounts for genuine pure Al Gadhi rose oil. It is considered a gift of the utmost taste and respect in Arabic culture.

Answer: Jabal al-Nour

Jabal al-Nour is around 2,100 feet tall. It takes around two hours to get to the cave where Muhammad is believed to have received the first verses of the Quran. It is named for this: "Jabal al-Nour" means "Mountain of the Enlightenment." There are almost 2,000 steps to the top.

The location of the cave itself is at just under 900 feet high up the mountain. During the Islamic holy season of Ḥajj, or "Pilgrimage" it is calculated that around 5,000 visitors a day climb the steps to where Muhammad had his first revelation.

Answer: Diriyah

Diriyah is located on the outskirts of the capital city, Riyadh.

Diriyah was the capital of the Emirate of Diriyah, when the first Saudi royal family were in power (1744-1818).

Answer: King Saud Mosque

The King Saud Mosque is the largest mosque in the city of Jeddah. It was designed by Egyptian architect Abdel-Wahed El-Wakil, who has built over 15 mosques across Saudi Arabia. Construction was completed in 1987.

The Kaaba ("the Cube" in Arabic) is the holiest site in Islam. It is also located in Mecca. It has been damaged many times in its history, as Mecca has been the site of many a siege. It is approximately 43 feet tall.

Answer: Mecca

Mecca is Islam's holiest city. It is fitting that an important mountain in Islam is close by.

Mount Arafat is approximately 1,500 feet high. According to some Islamic sources the Prophet Muhammad delivered his last sermon there.

Answer: Gulf of Aqaba

The Gulf of Aqaba is a gulf of the Mediterranean sea. Haql is the largest Saudi Arabian city situated on the Gulf of Aqaba. The gulf is about 15 miles wide at its widest point. It is a very popular diving spot. The city of Eilat in Israel makes around 10% of its economy from diving, due to its proximity to the Gulf of Aqaba.

Answer: Abha

Jabal Sawda (which translates to "black mountain") is part of the Sarawat Mountain Range. It overlooks Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast, north of Yemen. It is covered in juniper trees. It is widely claimed to be Saudi Arabia's highest peak, however a study in 2018 concluded that Mount Ferwa may instead be Saudi Arabia's highest peak.

The city of Abha is the capital city of the 'Asir Region, and is situated in the Asir mountains at an elevation of approximately 7,500 feet. The city features Shadda Palace, which was once the main ruling house of Abha. The palace has now been converted into a museum.

Answer: True

It is estimated that Saudi Arabia has around 17% of the world's petroleum reserves. Other than petroleum, Saudi Arabia's natural reserves offer natural gas, iron ore, gold, and copper. Petroleum was discovered in Saudi Arabia in 1938.

The oil and gas sector of Saudi Arabia composes 50% of the country's gross domestic product. It also composes around 70% of Saudi Arabia's export earnings.

Answer: Kuwait

Saudi Arabia does share a border with Oman and United Arab Emirates, but they are both to the east.

Saudi Arabia's northern borders with Kuwait, Jordan and Iraq stretch for approximately 870 miles: from the Gulf of Aqaba to the west, across to the town of Ras al Khafji on the Persian Gulf, a town which is on the border between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

Answer: Mada'in Salih

Mada'in Salih, also known as "Hegra" (in Ancient Greek) is an archaeological site situated in Hejaz, Saudi Arabia. Some of the remains date as far back from the 1st century AD, the Nabatean kingdom from classical antiquity.

Tombs from the Nabatean kingdom are particularly well-preserved, and earned Saudi Arabia's first UNESECO World Heritage Site honor in 2008. A variety of cultures have occupied this site, but the name "Mada'in Salih" comes from the Islamic prophet, Salih. In the days of Salih, the city had rock cut tombs opposite it used by a variety of religions. It is not known when the city and tomb site became abandoned, but the tombs survive as a UNESCO World Heritage Site to this day.

In the Quran, Salih warned the tribe of Thamud to repent of their idol worship, and the oppression within their tribes. A pregnant camel was sent as the tribe demanded, as proof of Salih's divine mission. Only a few people listened to Salih. The sacred camel was killed instead of being looked after, its calf running to the mountains from where they came. The Thamud tribe was given three days until their punishment was to happen, but again not many took heed of the warnings. Salih and his followers left the city, which was struck by lightning and earthquakes.