Saudi Arabia is a country on the Arabian Peninsula with historic sites and a unique culture. Mecca is famous for its pilgrimages, including the Kaaba, Islam’s holiest site, and Riyadh is the capital of Saudi Arabia, a modern, bustling city with state-of-the-art buildings and shopping. Hegra is the historic ancient Nabatean civilization center, Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO-listed site, with buildings and cemeteries carved into massive rocks, and a unique landscape where natural heritage has become art.The desert port city of Jeddah is one of the places to experience Saudi Arabia’s traditions and culture.
1. Saudi Arabia Quick Facts
Language Arabic
Religion Islam
Currency Saudi Arabian Riyal (SR)
Visa visa require / e-Visa
Power Plugs 127/230 V 60 Hz(A/B/F/G Type)
Capital Riyadh
ATM ATM are also readily available, allowing you to withdraw local currency using your credit or debit card.
Use card
It’s conveniently available at hotels, restaurants, cafes, hypermarkets, convenience stores, hospitals, pharmacies, and more, and accepts most international credit cards, including Visa, MasterCard, and American Express. However, you may be limited at smaller local restaurants and supermarkets, so we recommend carrying some cash.
Useful APP
Google Maps
Uber
Careem
2. Packing for your trip
Air plain Ticket
Dollar Flight Club has made it easier and cheaper to buy flights to the Airport.
SIM card
Airalo is the world’s first eSIM store that solves the pain of high roaming bills by giving you access to 200+ eSIMs (digital SIM cards) globally at affordable prices.
New member one-time use 15% discount coupon
10% discount coupon for multiple use by all members.
Pacsafe Pro safe 800 Luggage Lock
Good protection against snatchers or impulse thieves.
Universal Power Adapter
One of the most essential but most forgotten items in your travel gear? A power adapter!
Travel insurance
Prepare for risky situations Travel insurance can be a big help in the event of an emergency
GoPro HERO
If you want to capture your own memories of your travels, GoPro is the way to go. It’s small, has great image quality, and is easy to carry around
3. Transportation
bus
In terms of city buses, 25-passenger minibuses operate on a route-by-route basis in downtown Riyadh, with a fare of 3 SR. However, the buses have very long intervals and only cover a small part of the city, making them ineffective as public transportation. The vehicles are in very poor condition and are mainly used by low-income and third-country nationals.
Matro Bus
The fare is 4 SR. However, due to its long intervals, mandatory stops at all stops, and low speeds, it takes about two to three times as long as a regular car to get around, so it is not a viable option for transportation, so its usage rate is low.
Metro
Scheduled to open in April 2024.
Taxis
Taxis and UBER are very convenient, but their prices have been rising steadily, with fares ranging from 20-30 Saudi riyals for short trips in the city and 80-120 riyals for longer distances.
I recommend using UBER, as regular taxis are often meter-operated and do not speak English.
The base fare for a taxi in Riyadh is 5 SR, with an additional 2 SR per kilometer. Waiting costs 30 Saudi riyals per hour.
In addition to Uber, you can also use the local taxi app Careem. Uber and Careem accept both cash and card payments.
Rent a car
Local Saudi drivers can be seriously aggressive, so it’s important to stay relatively calm.
4. Safety
Security in Saudi Arabia is very good. With strong Sharia law, it’s safe from pickpockets and thieves who frequent all tourist destinations. This is probably due to the strong law of hand amputation for those caught stealing or pick pocketing.
Useful phone numbers for tourists
Police: 999
Ambulance: 997
Fire department: 998
Country phone code: 221
5. Climate
Saudi Arabia is influenced by a subtropical high-pressure zone and has a typical desert-type climate that is dry and hot throughout the year, with minimal rainfall, except in the southwest. The temperature difference between summer and winter is large, and there are large temperature differences between night and day due to the influence of the continental climate.
Red Sea coast: subtropical climate with hot and humid summers and warm winters (November-December) with occasional rain.
Central and Northern Inland : Desert climate with temperatures averaging 32°C (90°F) to 34°C (93°F) with highs of 54°C (130°F) and desert lows of 0°C (32°F) in winter due to continental climate influences, cooler after sunset in summer, sometimes with strong northeasterly winds bringing lots of dust and sand.
Eastern Gulf Coast: Tropical climate with year-round heat waves, with temperatures sometimes reaching over 40°C (104°F) in summer.
6. price
It’s easy to think of Saudi Arabia as expensive, except for the price of gas, because all manufactured goods are imported and therefore expensive. However, food items such as cereals and fruits can be purchased at reasonable prices.
Gasoline (1 liter) 2.30 SR
McDonald’s combo meal: 25 SR
Water (1.5 liters): 2.30 SR
Milk (1 liter) 6.10 SR
7. Travel precautions
Possession, consumption, sale, and distribution of alcoholic beverages is prohibited in Saudi Arabia.Please note that alcoholic beverages are also prohibited in airport transit.
If alcohol is found in a transit passenger’s bag, they may be subject to confiscation, fines, imprisonment, deportation.
Saudi restaurants and eateries invariably have two doors. One is for single men (Single Section) and the other is for families with women (Family Section). If a father and son want to dine in a restaurant, they must use the Single Section, and if a father and daughter go, they must use the Family Section.
In Riyadh, men and women who are not related can be arrested for indecency if they are caught by religious police.
It is taboo to look directly at a woman, and Muslim women who adorn themselves with makeup and jewelry are expected to do so only for their husbands and not to be seen by others.
8. Etiquette & Service Tip
The left hand is not used for things that require cleanliness, and the right hand is used for cleanliness – it is therefore impolite to use the left hand to shake hands or to give or receive objects.
It is best not to refuse gifts, drinks, food, etc. that are offered to you – it is also bad manners to refuse more than three times when invited to a home.
It is considered polite and virtuous to honor one’s elders and to be extremely hospitable to visitors.
The host usually seats the guest at the head of the table, and the guest bids the host farewell at the appropriate time.
Tip
Tipping is uncommon but occurs mostly in restaurants and hotels, where it is common to tip 10% to 15% if you are satisfied with the service.
9. Holidays
The public holidays in Egypt in 2024
22 Feb Thu Founding Day
9 Apr to 12 Apr Tue to Fri Eid al-Fitr Holiday
15 Jun to 18 Jun Sat to Tue Eid al-Adha Holiday
23 Sep Mon National Day
2025 National Public Holidays:
Saturday, 22 February : Founding Day
Sunday to Wednesday, 30 March to 2 April : Eid al-Fitr Holiday
Thursday to Sunday, 5 to 8 June : Eid al-Adha Holiday
Tuesday, 23 September : National Day