Saudi Arabia

Overview

Saudi Arabia covers a significant portion of the Arabian peninsula and is home to Islam 's holiest cities — Mecca and Medina — both of which attract Muslims from all over the world. Religious pilgrimages used to be the country's primary source of income before oil was discovered in the 1930s. With over 16 million visitors annually, Saudi Arabia is one of the world's most popular travel destinations, if you count Muslims coming for the Hajj or Umrah pilgrimage.

Saudi Arabia continues to follow a strict interpretation of Islamic (Sharia) law, but many of the most visible regulations, particularly those regarding women's clothing and separation of the sexes, have been wound back. The authorities have communicated fairly bluntly to the populace that tourists and visitors to the kingdom should feel welcomed and be met with the characteristic Saudi hospitality. Nevertheless, you should not travel to Saudi Arabia if you are unprepared to accept strict limitations on your freedom of expression and behaviour.

Places to explore

Expect significant variations in the English spellings of place names in schedules and even road signs: Al Wajh and Wedjh are the same place. In particular, Q/G, E/I, and E/A are interchanged freely ( Qassim/Gassim , Mecca/Makkah , Jeddah/Jiddah ), H/A sometimes swap places ( Al-Ahsa / Al-Hasa ) and the definite article al- can be left on or off ( Medina/Almadinah , Riyadh/Arriyadh ).

Sights and landscapes

From cultural museums to historical museums, there are plenty of opportunities for you to learn more about Saudi history, culture, and customs. As in any other country, some museums allow you to enter for free, while others do not.

One of the best known museums and sites in Saudi Arabia is Masmak Fort , which is located in Riyadh , the capital city. Built during the 14th century and the site of the Battle of Riyadh, one of the most important events in Saudi history, the fort was turned into a museum in the mid-1990s.

Saudi Arabia is more than just a barren, flat, hot desert country, as many people assume. From vast, hot, baking deserts to mesmerising jacaranda trees in settlements near the Yemeni border and to lush, green forests along the Red Sea, Saudi Arabia has a beautiful and diverse array of natural scenery.

The Empty Quarter covers an area of over 655,000 square kilometres (252,897 sq mi), covering most of the southern Arabian Peninsula. It is the largest continuous body of sand. One may be tempted to call it "no man's land", but that's not entirely accurate ― the Empty Quarter has plenty of flora and fauna, and various tribes live in the Empty Quarter. It's a great place to experience the Arabian peninsula's deserts; however, you are strongly recommended not to visit it alone.

Experiences

Entertainment in Saudi Arabia is very family-oriented. There are few activities for just couples or singles. Single men are not allowed in family areas: family beaches are partitioned from the bachelor beaches, for example. Women are expected to be accompanied by a male relative in public, although single women may be admitted into family areas.

These are very popular with Saudis. There are few desert dune bashing tour operators, if any, but ATV rentals are often found along the roadside on the outskirts of major cities and expats often arrange convoy trips into the desert. The Empty Quarter has the most stunning scenery and requires the most preparation.

Amusement parks (many of them indoor) are often found near malls or beaches. Many large cities have public parks and small zoos. Horseback riding, camel riding, etc. are also available at horse-racing tracks and some popular beaches. Many upscale hotels provide light activities (especially hotels along the beaches).

After more than 30 years of near-total prohibition, movie theatres have begun opening again in the kingdom, most popular being VOX Cinemas and AMC Cinemas . In addition, DVD shops abound, although the selections are often tame and/or censored. DVDs in Saudi Arabia are invariably Region 2, though bootleg DVDs (which are widely available in smaller video shops) are usually region-free, and often uncensored as well. Satellite TV and downloading entertainment from the Internet is thus very popular.

Culture and food

Like in other Middle Eastern countries, food is traditionally eaten by hand in Saudi Arabia. The most important thing to remember is to use only your right hand (see Home etiquette below).

Unlike other businesses that kick out their customers at prayer time, most restaurants let diners hang around and eat behind closed doors through the prayer period. New customers are generally not allowed to enter until after prayer is over.

The Middle Eastern staple of shawarma (doner kebab) is widely available in dedicated little joints, with SR8-10 being the standard price for a sandwich. The Egyptian mashed fava bean stew foul is another cheap staple, and these shops usually also offer felafel (chickpea balls) and a range of salads and dips like hummus (chickpea paste) and tabbouleh (parsley salad).

Planning your route

Internal travel permits are a thing of the past, so once you've gotten into Saudi Arabia, most of the country is your oyster. There are, however, some exceptions:

Saudi Arabia is a large country, which makes flying the only main means of long-distance travel (although trains are starting to offer serious competition on some routes). Flag carrier Saudia has the best schedules, with near-hourly flights on the busy Riyadh-Jeddah sector (90 min) and walk-up one-way fares costing a reasonable SR280 . Low-cost competitors Flynas and Flyadeal can be even cheaper if you book in advance, but their schedules are sparser, changes will cost you money and there's no meal on board.

Travel guide text compiled and adapted from Wikivoyage article (contributors). Sections were selected and reordered for this guide. Text is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Check current arrangements with your travel consultant.