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Home > Eclipses > Solar Eclipses > Annular Solar Eclipse of 2019 December 26

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Annular Solar Eclipse of 2019 December 26
from Saudi Arabia

To observe the 2019 December 26 annular eclipse, I decided to travel to Saudi Arabia as it would allow me to experience another marvelous eclipse at sunrise such as the annular on 2013 May 10 in Western Australia. Moreover it was the perfect opportunity to visit a country being far off the beaten track for foreigners.
The process to obtain your visa for Saudi Arabia is now fairly easy at a cost of about 120€ (463.44SAR): today you just have to apply online since the end of September 2019.

You can use this solar eclipse calculator to compute the local circumstances of the eclipse, and the solar eclipse timer notifies the beginning of the various events. A time exposure calculator is there to help you choose your camera settings.

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One-year multiple entry visa for Saudi Arabia	Status of the visa application	Health insurance for Saudi Arabia
Welcome to Saudi Arabia. Even though it may not always be easy there are quite a few interesting locations to visit before hords of tourists arrive. I can honestly say that I had a great time in Saudi Arabia and the population is really welcoming. That said there is still work to do and improvements to be made, mostly for the services and the organization, in order to welcome more tourists, yet it’s clear the authorities are seriously working on it. Finding reliable information is often not easy, sometimes even impossible, and this will need to be seriously improved. Overall a very positive feeling.
The arrival in Saudi Arabia is well organized and fast, going through immigration is easy with the electronic visa (nevertheless do have a printed copy in hand which can also be useful in hotels). However, there was a minor issue: I had a plane ticket Paris-Riyadh-Madinah with one night in Riyadh and my two checked pieces of luggage from Paris to Madinah with the agent who then told me that I had to collect my luggage in Riyadh; but this turned out to be false, no baggage showed up in Riyadh as they were actually directly being transferred to Madinah! Thanks to the good information from the staff at Riyadh airport, I still managed to get my two bags by going to the domestic terminal, but it took almost two hours. It turns out that the baggage rules changed four months ago and that the agent in Paris may not have been aware of it. Welcoming committee at the Riyadh international airport Fast track immigration with the red carpet at the Riyadh international airport Tada outside the terminal at the Riyadh international airport with its mosque Everything is clear, yet I’m missing the keffiyeh with its agal ;-) Here we go, now all set :D (sorry not too well set, I was extremely tired and did it in a hurry) Bank notes in Arabic and Western Arabic digits Evolution of the Saudi flag over the years In every hotel room the Qiblah orientation (direction to Makkah) is indicated "God Bless You" is the complete inscription written on all Saudia aircrafts Before takeoff on Saudia you always have this prayer Welcome to the holy city of Madinah, the French company JC Decaux is everywhere around the world Welcome to the holy city of Madinah airport A mosque is always next to the airport terminals, here at Madinah airport One question we often here people asking is how do you manage to find your way with road signs in Arabic. It turns out it isn’t too difficult if you’re prepared, and for the Arabic digits, the real ones, it’s extremely easy and you can learn in just a few minutes. Moreover with navigation systems and/or smartphones things can even get easier. Usually in big cities most of the indications are in both Arabic and English, yet in remote locations everything is in Arabic only and in all honesty this is fun. Road signs near Riyadh, extremely easy Distances, extremely easy as well A little more tricky Extremely easy, road number 375 Speed limit sign in both Arabic and Western Arabic digits (most are Arabic only, again not an issue) And now a speed limit of 110 kph (70 mph) with a speed trap Camel crossing sign, there are quite a few There we go, lots of camels along the road Sand does get blown across the roads, one has to be careful Gas pump where foreigners usually have to pay cash as usually only local credit card can be used (about 0.36€ a liter or $1.50 a US gallon) Gas stations are often closed during the prayers, one full hour in this case; however things are evolving Nice roads with nearly no traffic, a real pleasure! Usually when leaving a town you’ll have a Quran verset While driving on many roads you can enjoy the landscape
One of the many attractions in Saudi Arabia is Al-Ula in the northeast of the country where the Nabataean civilization flourished in the Neolithic era. What I could see rivals without any question with Petra in Jordan and there is currently a nice exhibition from October 9, 2019 to January 19, 2020March 8, 2020 in Paris at the Institute of the Arab World; all the Saudi guides I met spoke about it and were very proud to have been able to visit it. I had the privilege of visiting Madâin Sâleh as a VIP with driver and guide being the only one on-site, a real pleasure when you see the hordes of tourists in Petra. Al-Ula is a cradle of human history offering a bounty of cultural charms. Dating to pre-Islamic times, Hegra (Madâin Sâleh) is Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site and the largest preserved south of Jordan for the Nabataean Civilization. As such Hegra is of global significance. Its tomb facades represents some of the best examples of Nabataean architecture and the many inscriptions provide important clues to its people and languages. As the principal southern city of the Nabataean Kingdom, it was second only to Petra as a place for the elite to bury their dead, and current research suggests it was the most southerly known outpost of the Roman presence. Excavations continue to unearth ancient mysteries, and today you can tour more than 100 well-preserved tombs with elaborate facades cut into the rock. 180-degree panorama of Jabal Al Feel (Elephant Rock) near Al-Ula Jabal Al Feel (Elephant Rock) and structures with MBS helicopter during his Al-Ula visit Spending the late afternoon with some locals at Jabal Al Feel (Elephant Rock); hospitality of the Saudis In winter there is a permanent structure next to the Jabal Al Feel (Elephant Rock); this structure is too close and the nighttime lights spoils everything 180-degree panorama of Bottle Arch and Jabal Al Feel (Elephant Rock) near Al-Ula Direction to Bottle Arch outside Al-Ula The light pollution in Saudi Arabia is quite high, hopefully the Saudis will learn to cut it down around nice locations! Starry night sky at Jabal Al Feel (Elephant Rock area) outside Al-Ula Al-Ula light pollution from the viewpoint; you can barely see Rigel and the Orion Belt Rock formations in Al-Ula Entrance of the old city and the 10^th century fort of Al-Ula Fort of Al-Ula; unfortunately it was closed for an unknown reason Renovation project of the old city of Al-Ula Al Izam mosque (mosque of the Bones) in the old city of Al-Ula Interior of the Al Izam mosque (mosque of the Bones) in the old city of Al-Ula Solar dial in the old city of Al-Ula; look at the tip of the trianglar wall and its shadow on the ground Ruins of the old city of Al-Ula Security vehicle filling up in the old city of Al-Ula! 180-degree panorama of Winter park in Al-Ula; central hub to buy tickets for visits and those on a tour start from here by bus Entrance at Hegra in Madâin Sâleh Welcoming committee in Hegra (Madâin Sâleh) Main stops in Hegra (Madâin Sâleh) The Hijaz Railway ran from Damascus to Madinah and is named after the Hijaz region of northwestern Saudi Arabia. An ambitious project with an aim to run all the way to Makkah, its construction was halted as a result of the First World War and the line was never completed. Hijaz railway station in Hegra (Madâin Sâleh) Old train with its 1908 locomotive at the Hijaz railway station in Hegra (Madâin Sâleh) Butler, driver and vehicle for the VIP tour in Madâin Sâleh The guides, usually very competent women, wear several badges which shows that the Vision 2030 project is indeed at the heart of the deep changes underway in Saudi Arabia. Badges on the garments of the guides in Madâin Sâleh Start of the VIP tour in Madâin Sâleh Jabal Ithlib in Madâin Sâleh Jabal Ithlib in Madâin Sâleh Jabal Ithlib in Madâin Sâleh Jabal Ithlib in Madâin Sâleh Jabal Ithlib in Madâin Sâleh Jabal Ithlib in Madâin Sâleh Jabal Al Banat (Qasr Al Bint) in Madâin Sâleh Jabal Al Banat (Qasr Al Bint) in Madâin Sâleh Jabal Al Ahmar in Madâin Sâleh Jabal Al Ahmar in Madâin Sâleh 180-degree panorama of Jabal Al Ahmar in Madâin Sâleh Qasr Al Farid (tomb of Lihyan, son of Kuza) in Madâin Sâleh Qasr Al Farid (tomb of Lihyan, son of Kuza) in Madâin Sâleh Rock formations in Madâin Sâleh Jabal Ikmah, one of Saudi Arabia’s most significant epigraphic sites, contains hundreds of etched and relief inscriptions acting as an "open library" for the Dadanitic and Lihyanic cultures as far back as the 3^rd through 6^th centuries. This writings shed light on the origins of the Arabic language, beliefs and practices. Engravings of Jabal Ikmah near Al-Ula Engravings of Jabal Ikmah near Al-Ula
And now a few pictures from Al-Hofuf. Highway exit to Al-Hofuf Short history of the origins of Al-Hofuf Ibrahim Palace in Al-Hofuf Perimeter wall of the Ibrahim Palace and Al Qubba mosque in Al-Hofuf Ammunition depot and Al Qubba mosque in Al-Hofuf Clock for the prayer times at the Al Qubba mosque in Al-Hofuf Qurans at the Al Qubba mosque in Al-Hofuf Al Koot Heritage hotel in Al-Hofuf Atrium of the Al Koot Heritage hotel in Al-Hofuf Bedroom at the Al Koot Heritage hotel in Al-Hofuf; invited as a speaker Gate to the new souk in Al-Hofuf, the old souk was destroyed by a fire a couple years ago Alley of the new souk early in the morning Notables meeting in a private house in Al-Hofuf Al Qarah mountain in Al-Hofuf House of a private collector in Al-Hofuf A huge collection with also some priceless historical qurans 180-degree panorama of my suite’s terrace in Al-Hofuf Hasa prison in Al-Hofuf, not really the kind of place you want to be at in Saudi Arabia ;-)
We’re not far from the borders with Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and a bit farther Oman, yet it’s now time to go back. Road to Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Oman The kind of load that would be forbidden in most countries! Hydrocracking reactors made in Italy, then shipped to Dammam and now hauled to the Aramco Khurais oil field Gas flaring at the Aramco Khurais oil field One last sunset in Saudi Arabia, time to go back to the Riyadh airport and fly home until the next time Now it’s time to relax… Back in Paris with the Concorde taking off ;-) and the transportation strike still ongoing!