RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s skyscraper-filled city skylines dominate the landscape. Such was the impression of American writer Paige Peterson, who was recently in the Kingdom for a three-month visit at the invitation of Saudi Ambassador to the US Princess Reema bint Bandar Al-Saud. Peterson’s first visit to the Kingdom was in 2015, when she was invited by Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir, who was also Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the US when the two met. “He had two good reasons for [inviting me]. One was professional. I was the executive vice president of the Huntsman Cancer Foundation, and one of my missions was to build alliances with Saudi Arabia’s medical community. The other was personal. As a writer and photographer, I was endlessly curious about Saudi Arabia’s people and its landscape,” said Peterson. On her latest trip, which started in February of this year, Petterson spent nearly three months traveling alone throughout Saudi Arabia with the sole purpose of photographing and writing about Riyadh, AlUla, Hegra, Tabuk, NEOM, Jeddah, Taif, Jubbah, Hail, Alkhobar, Dammam, Al-Hasa, and Abha in the Asir region. American writer Paige Peterson at AlUla. (Supplied) “I have been asked endlessly if I felt safe in Saudi Arabia. Never did I feel unsafe. The culture of the Arabs is to welcome guests and travelers with open arms. The extraordinary charm of Saudi generosity and heartfelt hospitality is legendary. The streets are safe,” Peterson said. A great lover of nature, Peterson spoke with a sense of awe as she described the Kingdom’s natural wonders, including “the thrilling experience of a sandstorm.” She was astonished at the rapid development in the Kingdom, with clusters of business buildings creating new hip neighborhoods, filled with vibrant restaurants and a lively coffee culture that brought people in by swarm. On social reform, she noticed young men and women mingling freely, a thriving nightlife and more women behind the wheel. American writer Paige Peterson while driving in Saudi Arabia. (Supplied) With Saudi Arabia quickly becoming a new destination hotspot, Peterson had this to say to those considering traveling there: “It is everything you have heard it to be and nothing that you have heard it to be. Step back into another century, turn a corner, and you are in the most sophisticated architecture in the world. “You will be delighted by the warmth of the people and the diversity of the country. There are mountains, beaches, coral reefs, grasslands, and forests — not to mention the largest sand sea in the world.” As a journalist, Peterson has reported extensively on the Middle East. Her most recent book is “Growing Up Belvedere-Tiburon.” With Christoper Cerf, she is the co-author and illustrator of “Blackie: The Horse Who Stood Still” and the illustrator of “A Christmas Carol,” adapted by Jesse Kornbluth. Riyadh at night. (Supplied) As a painter, Peterson is represented by the Gerald Peters Gallery in New York and has been honored by the Guild Hall Academy of the Arts in East Hampton. She is an author and artist in residence at Literacy Partners and a board member of Catmosphere, the National Council on US-Arab Relations and the Safari West Wildlife Foundation.