And such a statehood ibn Saud grasped—and boldly gave his name to! (It is, after all, the only country in the world named for a family…a family still very much in charge.) As pivotal and intriguing as it is, Saudi Arabia has been until recently very carefully closed to non-business and civilian travel. As that changes, we’re able to take a look at the realities of a country which offers far more than oceans of sand (as heart-strikingly wondrous as they are). Saudi Arabia’s unexpected green highlands, its sometimes bustling and sometimes sleepy ports, and its glass-sheathed modern buildings, rising “in optimistic thrust” from the desert, are all eye-opening facets of an important and intriguing travel destination.