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Egypt seems exotic enough to me - until now I’d only travelled outside Europe just once in my life. But then there’s Saudi Arabia, just a handful of miles across the Straits of Tiran. It seems like another world entirely, a mirage at the horizon, cloaked in mysterious secrets. In the blinding white sky of the hours around lunchtime, only Tiran Island is visible, but as the afternoon marches on, the Saudi coastline slowly reveals itself, bold yellow dunes backed by the faintest silhouettes of imposing looking mountain ranges. The straits are a regular highway for a sequence of container ships, lying low in the water as they transport their cargoes along the Gulf of Aqaba. At the northern end of this easterly pincer arm of the Red Sea lie three ports, separated by just a handful of miles, yet they’re in three separate nations that sit uncomfortably alongside one another. Taba in Egypt, Eilat in Israel, and Aqaba in Jordan. Travelling south, those freighters are heading around the bottom of the peninsula, making for the Suez Canal, the Mediterranean and beyond, or maybe down through the Gulf of Aden, past the Horn of Africa, with Yemen on one side and Somalia on the other. Rather them than me. Not everyone in this part of the world is quite as pleased to see us as our Egyptian hosts. Too much of the world is run by angry old men controlling younger men who could do with stopping and thinking who they’re supposed to be angry at. Somebody needs to make them stop. Even here on the beach, security guards stationed by every hotel watch the coast, night and day, keeping their eyes peeled for troublemakers. Thankfully it’s been peaceful in Sharm el-Sheikh for a while now. I hope it stays that way. The people who live here and look after us sunbed lounging westerners for a week or two are so gentle and welcoming. Full of human warmth. I’ve never experienced service quite like it.
It was the last full day of our time in Sharm el-Sheikh, and this was my fourth sunrise visit to exactly the same spot, just a five minute walk from the apartment. The forecast had proved to be accurate - not a cloud in sight - just a soft band of orange lighting up those Arabian mountain peaks across the water. On the other three early pilgrimages, they hadn’t been visible at all, thanks to the hazy clouds on the horizon. But today, they appeared, soft and warm, clustered in groups, rising from the sea to heights that were impossible to measure with the human eye. As I watched, an empty ship headed north, rapidly approaching the scene in front of me. Just my luck. In the time it took to pass, the light would surely change and the chance to zoom into those enigmatic peaks would be gone. It needed a few moments to register in my slow witted morning brain that it might be an idea to include the ship. I ramped up the ISO and opened the aperture a little bit more. While holidaymakers overdose on the all inclusive in the hotels of Sharm el-Sheikh, the rudders of commerce grind their way along the gulf, on the last hundred odd miles of their voyage to those neighbouring ports.
For once I’d remembered to wear enough clothes to deter the resident mosquito population. Jeans, a long sleeved top and socks inside my shoes. My feet looked like a childrens’ “join the dots” colouring book after the first few days here - except for the fact that the dots were red rather than black. Ironic then that a stiff breeze was keeping the little airborne monsters quiet for a change. I pulled up one of the two plastic chairs for the last time and sat, watching the ever changing light. Each of these four mornings had been quite different from the last, and this was the only one to deliver a completely clear sky. The photographer’s curse. But then again, those Arabian lumps of land and the passing ship had given me something new as well.
Coming here each morning was fun, but at the same time all of the security measures meant it was quite a restrictive kind of place for landscape photography. And while we enjoyed our stay, being waited on as if we were royalty isn’t something that left us feeling entirely comfortable at times. We’re used to doing our own thing, and travelling under our own steam. No hire cars here, and only very limited opportunities to point the camera at the landscape without drawing unwanted attention. Only during that memorable trip to Mount Sinai did I feel as if I was getting into my stride, and that lasted well under an hour. But it was still a very rewarding experience, and gazing across the water into this mythical Arabian landscape was something I hadn’t really expected. It’s a big world out there.
A ground crewman signals as the pilot of a 353rd Tactical Fighter Squadron (353rd TFS) A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft brings his plane to a stop upon arrival in support of Operation Desert Shield.
Capt. Chris Castleberry, a pilot from the 421st Tactical Fighter Squadron, gives the thumbs up signal from the cockpit of his F-16C Fighting Falcon aircraft as he prepares for takeoff during Operation Desert Storm.
A ground crew member signals to the pilot of a 614th Tactical Fighter Squadron F-16C Fighting Falcon aircraft as it prepares to takeoff on the first daylight strike against Iraqi targets during Operation Desert Storm.
Aircraft of The Ministry of Finance of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Landed on runway 24 at Farnborough on 20th May 2022. Eluded the sun by seconds unfortunately, as can be the way.
home of childhood.
The above balcony was in green but color fade away because it was left without maintenance since mid of 80s.
The two windows down were done similar to the above balcony in wood and green color but unfortunately were removed for invalid reason.
Processed with VSCO with t1 preset
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Near Al Ula, the Elephant Rock is a natural beauty produced in the sandstone by the regular sandstorms over thousand of years.
Al Ula is characterised by its attractive natural scenery marked by the reddish sandstone inselbergs carved by natural agencies into beautiful and attractive shapes. Sand dunes and inselbergs combined together to form a wonderful display of thrilling nature. During winter and spring, after the rain, the areas turns into green fields attracting the inhabitants and visitors from outside the region.
Al Ula is situated northwest of Saudi Arabia. It is about 400 km north of Al Madinah.
More incredible shapes that nature draws, far from the maddening crowds
D’autres formes incroyables tracées par la nature, très loin de l’agitation des villes. Je ne m’en lasse pas!
Credits: ESA/NASA
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I didn't want to take any 'touristy' camel shots in Saudi but this guy come out of the desert near Yanbu and, well, it could have been a frame from David Lean's Lawrence of Arabia . . .
Yemeni man, allowed to live in Saudi Arabia, in love with his camel (Tihama).
Tihama is a narrow coastal region of Arabia on the Red Sea. It is currently divided between Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Unlike the inland region, it is made up of sand dunes and plains and is largely arid except a few oases.
The agricultural sector in Saudi Arabia is quickly growing. Surface water at the Arabian peninsula, however, is very scarce, necessitating innovative solutions to collect sufficient water in other ways.
This Proba-V 100 m image of southern Saudi Arabia, acquired on 9 November 2014, nicely shows how irrigation is applied in the Arabian desert.
The bright green spots visible on the image are centre pivot irrigation fields. Here, water is drained from fossil reservoirs to ensure sufficient water for agricultural activities. The water is mined from depths down to 1 km, pumped to the surface, and then further distributed to the irrigation fields.
Credit: ESA-BELSPO 2014, produced by VITO
One of the old and famous houses in Yanbu. the photo shows that it is under renovation but it is u a bit different from the old one. It is a process in the city to protect the history of Yanbu.