Welcome to the Middle East!  I mentioned last week as I was wrapping up my night sky series that this week we’d hit the road, and our first stop is Riyadh, Saudi Arabia!  This past February I visited the Middle East for the second time, and Saudi Arabia for the first time, and it was quite fascinating!  I honestly had no idea what to expect, but the more I started Googling, the more I wanted to explore further into the country.  This particular trip was a work trip, so I didn’t get to explore as much as I’d wanted to, but I was able to at least get a sense of Riyadh and Dammam.

This week’s Picture of the Week is the view of downtown Riyadh, as seen from Al Faisaliah Tower.  In the distance you can see the Kingdom Centre building, which was the tallest building in Saudi Arabia for several years, but has now been surpassed by 4 other buildings!  Below you can see a single shot of it, surrounded by palm trees at its base.  Also below in the Alternative Perspective section you will find another view of the city streets and what the bulk of the city looks like – much lower buildings and crisscrossing streets.  Finally, a view of the Al Faisaliah Tower itself in the distance, as seen from my hotel room.

Next week we’ll hop over to Qatar, for another new-to-me country visit!

–Dan Thompson