There is a wide variety of architecture in Saudi Arabia. These include modern day sky scrapers that rival those in the West or East to traditional structures that are specifically designed to withstand the harsh desert sun.

Saudi Arabia has taken great care to preserve many of their historic building both in the city and in the country side. This includes the original mayor of Jeddah's home on the right to stone fortresses in the Asir mountain range.

In the mountains of Saudi Arabia, many villages took advantage of the rough terrain to provide the building materials for their home, a slate like rock that is easily made into long flat planks. They also used the natural terrain to provide safe and secure lookouts that were easily defended.

In many places in Saudi Arabia a unique construction style emerged because of the intensity and harshness of the desert sun. The thick earth walls kept the heat out while the stone slats embedded into the wall further reduced the internal tempeture by providing greater air flow over the service and a source of shade for much of the wall. During the rainy season the stones also protected the mud that made up much of the walls of these old traditional buildings. Today most of these building have been replaced by modern concrete and brick structures that take advantage of modern air conditioning.