Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia (officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia or KSA) is a Middle Eastern country that occupies most of the Arabian peninsula and has coastlines on the Persian Gulf and Red Sea. Neighboring countries include Jordan to the northwest, Iraq and Kuwait to the northeast, Bahrain and Qatar to the east, the United Arab Emirates to the southeast, and Oman and Yemen to the south. Saudi Arabia contains the holy Muslim cities of Mecca and Medina, to which all physically and financially able Muslims are required to make a pilgrimage at least once if possible (see Hajj) and where non-Muslims are forbidden from entering (Medina is now completely open to non-muslims, however, you cannot enter the prophet's mosque). Understand[edit]
Saudi Arabia is one of three countries named for their royal families, along with the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and The Principality of Liechtenstein. The Saudi family were sheiks of Nejd, the area around Riyadh, but were driven out by a neighboring dynasty, hiding with their relatives, the emirs of Kuwait. Then in 1902, young Abdulaziz Ibn Saud and his army returned to re-capture their home. As it turned out, the invaders had been corrupt, ineffective, and abusive, so many locals joined them. They not only re-captured Riyadh but much of the surrounding territory. After that, Abdulaziz set out on a 30-year campaign of conquest. The area united under him became known as Saudi Arabia. In the 1930s, the discovery of oil transformed the country and the US was quick to seek to put one over on the weakened British coastal colonialists. Following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990, Saudi Arabia offered refuge to the Kuwaiti royal family and 400,000 refugees while allowing Western and Arab troops to deploy on its land for the liberation of Kuwait the following year. A burgeoning population, unemployment, aquifer depletion, and an economy largely dependent on petroleum output and prices are all major governmental concerns. Economy[edit]Saudi Arabia is an oil-based economy with strong government controls over major economic activities. Saudi Arabia has the second-largest reserves of petroleum in the world after Venezuela (26% of the proven reserves), ranks as one of the largest exporters of petroleum, and plays a leading role in OPEC. The petroleum sector accounts for roughly 75% of budget revenues, 45% of GDP, and 90% of export earnings. About 25% of the GDP comes from the private sector. Roughly 4 million foreign workers play an important role in the Saudi economy - for example, in the oil and service sectors. The government in 1999 announced plans to begin privatizing the electricity companies, which follows the ongoing privatization of the telecommunications company. The government is expected to continue calling for private sector growth to lessen the kingdom's dependence on oil and increase employment opportunities for the swelling Saudi population. Shortages of water and rapid population growth will constrain government efforts to increase self-sufficiency in agricultural products. Unemployment among young Saudis is a serious problem. While part of this can be explained by Saudi reluctance to take many types of work, it is also true that Saudi citizens are forced to compete with multitudes of imported labor, which is often much cheaper than that of the locals. Geography[edit]Saudi Arabia covers approximately four-fifths of the area of the Arabian Peninsula, which can be described as a rectangular plateau gradually sloping downhill to the east until reaching sea level at the Persian Gulf. The main topographical features are: The Sarawat or Sarat mountain range running parallel to the Red Sea coast beginning near the Jordanian border until the southern coast of Yemen, gradually increasing in height southwards. It is largely made up of barren volcanic rock, especially in the south, and sandstone in the north, but it is also interspersed with ancient lava fields and fertile valleys. As you move further south towards Yemen, the barren landscape gradually gives way to green mountains and even woodlands, the result of being in the range of the monsoons. In Saudi Arabia, the range is commonly known as the Hejaz, though the southernmost part of the range is known as 'Aseer. In the foothills of the Hejaz lies the holy city of Mecca, and approximately 400km north of Mecca in an oasis between two large lava fields lies the other holy city of Medina. West of the Sarawat or Hejaz mountain range is a narrow coastal plain known as Tihama, in which the country's second-largest city, Jidda, is located. East of the Hejaz lies the elevated plateau known as Najd, a sparsely populated area of desert steppe dotted with small volcanic mountains. To the east of Najd-proper lies the Tuwaig escarpment, a narrow plateau running 800km from north to south. Its top layer is made of limestone and the bottom layer of sandstone. Historically rich in fresh groundwater and criss-crossed with numerous dry riverbeds (wadis), the Tuwaig range and its immediate vicinity are dotted with a constellation of towns and villages. In the middle, nestled between a group of wadis, is the capital city, Ar-Riyadh. Further east from the Tuwaig plateau and parallel to it is a narrow (20-100km) corridor of red dunes known as the Dahana desert, which separates the "Central Region" or "Najd" from the Eastern Province. The heavy presence of iron oxides gives the sand its distinctive red appearance. The Dahana desert connects two large "seas" of dunes. The northern one is known as the Nufuud, approximately the size of Lake Superior and the southern is known as "the Empty Quarter," so-called because it covers a quarter of the area of the Peninsula. Though essentially uninhabitable, the edges of these three "seas of sand" make for excellent pastures in the spring season, but even the bedouin rarely attempted to cross the Empty Quarter. North of the Nufud desert lies a vast desert steppe, traditionally populated mainly by nomadic bedouins except for a few oases such as Al-Jof. This region is an extension of the Iraqi and Syrian deserts (or vice versa). After a rainy season, these barren, rocky steppes can yield lush meadows and rich pastures. The eastern province is largely barren except that it contains two oases resulting from springs of ancient fossil water. These are the oases of Al-Qateef on the Gulf coast and Al-Hasa (or Al-Ahsa) further inland. Next to Qatif lies the modern metropolitan area of Dammam, Dhahran, and Al-Khobar. The highest point is Jabal Sawda' at an elevation of 3,133m (10,279 ft). Climate[edit]People tend to think of Saudi Arabia as an expanse of scorchingly hot desert punctuated with oil wells, and most of the time in most of the country, they would be right. From May to September, the country (basically everything except the southwestern mountains) bakes in temperatures that average 42°C and regularly exceed 50°C in the shade. In July and August, in particular, all who can flee the country do so, and work slows down to a crawl. The coasts are only slightly moderated by the sea, which usually keeps temperatures below 38°C — but at the price of extreme humidity (85-100%), which many find even more uncomfortable than the dry heat of the interior, especially at night. Only the elevated mountainous regions stay cool(er), with the summer resort city of Taif rarely topping 35°C and the mountainous Asir region cooler yet. In winter, though, it's a surprisingly different story. Daytime highs in Riyadh in December average only 21°C, and temperatures can easily fall below zero at night, occasionally even resulting in a sprinkling of snow in the southern mountains and the northern desert [1]. The winter can also bring rains to all or most of the country, although in many years this is limited to one or two torrential outbursts. The end of spring (April and May) is also a rainy season for much of the country. In the south, though, this pattern is reversed, with most rain falling during the Indian Ocean's monsoon season between May and October. Religion[edit]Islam is the state religion of Saudi Arabia. Although no law specifically requires Saudi citizens or passport holders to be Muslim, public observance and proselytism of religions other than Islam are forbidden under punishment of death. There are no official churches in Saudi Arabia of any kind. However, some Filipino workers report the presence of churches inside some gated communities. The small number of Saudi Arabian Christians meet in Internet chat rooms, and foreign Christians may meet at church meetings held at one of several embassies after registering and showing their passport, to prove foreign nationality, or by private assemblies in school gyms located in gated communities on Aramco grounds. They can also hold services in each other's houses. Prayer times[edit]Everything in Saudi is regulated by the five daily prayers. In the past, everything closed for 20-30 minutes during prayer but this is no longer the case and everything stays open. The first prayer is fajr, early in the morning before the first glint of light at dawn, and the call to prayer for fajr will be your wake-up call in the Kingdom. After fajr, some people eat breakfast and head to work, with shops opening up. The second prayer is dhuhr, held after true noon in the middle of the day. The Friday noon prayer (jummah) is the most important one of the week when even less observant Muslims usually make the effort to go to the mosque. After dhuhr, people head for lunch, while many shops choose to stay closed and snooze away the heat of the day. Asr prayers are in the late afternoon (1:30-2 hours before sunset). Maghrib prayers are held at sunset and mark the end of the workday in much of the private sector. The last prayer is isha'a, held around 45 minutes to 1 hour after sunset, after which locals head for dinner. Prayer times change daily according to the seasons and your exact location in the Kingdom. You can find the day's times in any newspaper, and the Ministry of Islamic Affairs maintains a handy online prayer time service [2]. Holidays[edit]
There are only two Islamic holidays that Saudis celebrate. Saudis do not celebrate Christian holidays like Christmas, or New Years, Easter, Valentine's Day or Halloween. Public holidays are granted only for Eid ul-Fitr, the feast at the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, Eid al-Adha, commemorating Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son, some 70 days after Ramadan. There is also one secular holiday: Unification of the Kingdom Day, on 23 September. Strictly speaking, it's not a public holiday or a festival, but it's treated rather like one anyway. During Ramadan itself, visitors are required to abide by the restrictions of the fasting month, at least in public: no eating, drinking or smoking during the daylight hours. Some better hotels will be able to quietly supply room service during the day, but otherwise you'll have to do your preparations. Offices and restaurants stay open with limited hours, but the pace of business slows down to a torpor. After evening prayer, though, all the restaurants in the bazaar open up and do a roaring trade until the small hours of the morning. Most of the shops are open as well, and the cool of the evening makes it a pleasant time to shop. A visitor can have a fine time joining in on these evenings, though having a stash in your hotel room for a quiet breakfast around ten will suit most visitors better than rising at four for a big pre-dawn Saudi breakfast. Saudi Arabia changed its official weekend from Thursday and Friday to Friday and Saturday. Regions[edit]Saudi Arabia is administratively divided into 13 provinces (mintaqah), but the traditional divisions of the country are more useful for making sense of it.
Cities[edit]
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). Other destinations[edit]
Get in[edit]
Saudi Arabia was once notorious for having some of the most restrictive travel policies in the world. The government has recently revised their policies when the country started issuing eVisas and visas on arrival for fifty-two different countries in an effort to encourage tourism to the desert kingdom. That being said, there are still some restrictions in place. All tourists who wish to visit Saudi Arabia are required to dress modestly; for women, wearing an abaya and headscarf is no longer compulsory, but shoulders and knees should be covered. Additionally, foreign non-Muslim visitors are not allowed to travel to the city of Mecca and the prophet's mosque in Medina. Visa-free[edit]Nationals of the Gulf Cooperation Council nations, with the exception of Qatar, may enter Saudi Arabia visa-free for an unlimited length of time, and may also use national ID Cards to enter the country. Foreigners transiting through airports for less than eighteen hours are also exempt from visa requirements. eVisa and Visa on arrival[edit]Nationals of all European Union nations, plus Andorra, Australia, Brunei, Canada, China (PRC), Hong Kong, Iceland, Japan, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein, Macau, Malaysia, Monaco, Montenegro, New Zealand, Norway, Russia, San Marino, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and the United States can obtain eVisas online for a fee prior to arrival, or on arrival in Saudi Arabia. Notes:
Visas in advance[edit]Advance visas are required for all other foreigners desiring to enter, as well as for those travelling for work. Saudis prefer not to grant visas to unaccompanied women, but work permits are common in some fields — especially nurses, teachers, maids — and possible for anyone if your sponsor has enough connections. Transit visas are limited to some long-distance truck drivers and for plane trips, but are generally issued free of charge. However, it is relatively easy to obtain a transit visa to drive through Saudi if you are legally physically present in an adjacent country and demonstrate the need to drive through Saudi to another adjacent country. Hajj (pilgrimage) visas are issued by the Saudi government through Saudi embassies around the world in cooperation with local mosques. Pilgrims and those on transit visas are prohibited from travelling freely throughout the kingdom, and during Hajj season getting a visa of any kind tends to be more difficult. As part of the innovation plan that is being implemented by the Kingdom regarding visas for Saudi Arabia, a new comprehensive insurance policy has been made available to Muslims traveling to Saudi Arabia for an Umrah pilgrimage. A number of short-term Western visitors to Saudi arrive on business visas, which require an invitation from a local sponsor which has been approved by the Saudi Chamber of Commerce. Once this invitation is secured and certified, the actual process of issuing the visa is relatively fast and painless, taking anything from one day to three months. Word has it that the "new visas" (electronically generated) are only available through agencies within your country of residence. Getting a work visa is considerably more complex, but usually your employer will handle most of the paperwork.
Customs[edit]Saudi Arabia has very strict rules for what may be imported: alcoholic beverages, pork, non-Sunni Islamic religious materials and pornography (very widely defined) are all prohibited. Computers, VCR tapes and DVDs have all been seized from time to time for inspection by the authorities. If you are unsure if the movie you watch or the video game you play is deemed un-Islamic, it would probably be best not to bring them with you to the kingdom. In general, though, inspections aren't quite as thorough as they used to be and while bags are still x-rayed, minute searches are the exception rather than the rule. Note that Western families driving through on a valid transit visa are generally waved through the customs inspection. Be very careful with carrying any narcotics. Drug smuggling or possession incurs punishments up to execution. There are many banned materials by the Saudi government including poppy seeds and nutmeg, consult the embassy before traveling, and a general rule of thumb is to not carry any products that could get you in trouble! By plane[edit]Saudi Arabia has 4 international airports at Riyadh, Jeddah, Madinah ,and Dammam . The airport at Dhahran is now closed to civil traffic, so passengers to the Eastern Region now fly into Dammam, or into nearby Bahrain (which is much better connected) and then cross into Saudi Arabia by car. Saudi Arabia is served by the national airline Saudi Arabian Airlines [4], often referred to by its Arabic name Saudia. Saudia has a reasonable safety record, but many of their planes are on the old side and the quality of service, in-flight entertainment, etc tends to be low. Virtually all Gulf airlines and most major European airlines fly into Saudi. During the Hajj, numerous charter flights supplement the scheduled airlines. Foreigners living in Saudi Arabia can often get sensational discounts on outbound flights during the Hajj. Airlines from Muslim countries are flying in many loads of pilgrims, and do not want to go back empty. By train[edit]There are no railroads connecting Saudi Arabia with other countries, although in the North, you can still find bits and pieces of the Hejaz Railway that once led to Damascus. By bus[edit]SAPTCO [5] operates cross-border bus services to most of Saudi Arabia's neighbors and even beyond e.g. Cairo. Probably the most popular service is between Dammam/Khobar and Bahrain, operated by a separate Saudi-Bahraini Transport Company (SABTCO). There are five services daily at a cost of SAR50/BHD5 and the trip across the King Fahd Causeway takes around two hours on a good day; see Bahrain for details. By car[edit]Automobile crossings exist on nearly all the borders, although those into Qatar and Yemen are currently closed. the crossings with Iraq are now open but be prepared to answer questions as to why you're visiting Iraq. Your passport will also be stamped by Iraqi customs and immigration, which will more than likely cause you a headache when visiting other countries, especially western ones. For more information on the current safety level of Iraq visit Iraq. The crossings into Kuwait, Jordan, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates are open 24/7. Driving in Saudi Arabia has gotten a little bit better due to the implementation of speed and traffic light cameras that also check whether you're wearing your seat belt or using your phone. The violation for no seat belt, speeding, and using your phone is 80 USD while the fine for running a red light is a hefty 800 USD fine! Driving in The bigger cities like Riyadh, Jeddah, and especially Dammam is better than the smaller cities. You will encounter aggressive drivers on highways however usually the most accidents and aggressive driving occur when there are no lanes for example in neighborhoods and most streets that aren’t a highway. Interstates are also pretty aggressive because most drivers live in rural areas and are used to higher speeds, just don’t block the left lane and you should be fine. If you're in the left lane don’t be surprised to see a car pass you on the left shoulder. By boat[edit]Infrequent passenger ferries run once a week or less from Egypt and Sudan to ports in western Saudi Arabia. (The service to Eritrea has stopped running.) Slow, uncomfortable, and not particularly cheap, these are of interest primarily if you absolutely need to take your car across. An unofficial ban on Western travelers may still apply. Get around[edit] Camels at the Janadriyah festival — no longer a viable means of long-distance transport Internal travel permits are a thing of the past, so once you've gotten into Saudi Arabia, the country is your oyster. There are, however, three exceptions:
By plane[edit]Saudi Arabia is a large country, which makes flying the only comfortable means of long-distance travel. State carrier Saudia has the best schedules, with near-hourly flights on the busy Riyadh-Jeddah sector (90min) and walk-up one-way fares costing a reasonable SAR280 (c. USD80). Low-cost competitors Nas [6] and Sama [7] 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. However in 2010 Sama was forced in administration and is no longer in existence. By bus[edit]The Saudi Arabian Public Transport Company (SAPTCO) [8] operates long-distance buses linking together all corners of the country. Buses are modern, air-conditioned and comfortable, but often slow, and the bus stations are more often than not located several kilometers away from the city center. The Riyadh-Dammam service, for example, costs SAR60 and takes around 6 hours. Special "VIP" services operate on the Riyadh-Dammam and Riyadh-Bahrain sectors. For a surcharge of about 50%, you get a direct, non-stop city center-to-city center services, plush seating and a meal on-board -- all in all, quite good value, if the sparse schedules match your plans. By train[edit]As a result of over-reliance on road and air travel, the rail transport has historically not received a similar level of investment as road travel in Saudi Arabia. Things are changing, however, with new railway lines (including a high-speed line linking Mecca with Medina via Jeddah) opening across the country, along with the rehabilitation of existing railway lines. Saudi Railways Organization[edit]The Saudi Railways Organization operates one line running between Riyadh, Al-Hofuf and Dammam. There are plans to extend the network to Jeddah during the next few years. The trains are operated by and have 3 classes: Second, First and the delightfully named Rehab. First and Second classes are very similar, with air-con and two-by-two seating, but First has a few inches of extra legroom. Rehab (VIP) class, on the other hand, has plush leather seats, roof-mounted flat-panel TVs showing Arabic entertainment, and slick waiting lounges at stations. There are no reserved seats, so show up early to claim yours, and beware that most carriages reserve the forward-facing seats at the front of each carriage for families. Trains have a cafeteria car serving up drinks and snacks, as well as push-trolley service. A ticket from Riyadh to Dammam costs SAR60/75/120 in Second/First/Rehab. There are four trains each day in both directions, and the trip takes 4-5 hours. (Note that, as of May 2008, the timetables on SRO website are outdated.) It is advisable to buy tickets in advance as the trains are often sold out. You can reserve tickets by calling their service centre in Dammam (+966 3 827 4000) and then pick up the tickets from the nearest railway station 24 hours before departure. Saudi Railways Company[edit]The Saudi Railways Company operate a modern passenger service on the 2750km North-South line, connecting Riyadh with Majma'a, Qassim, Hail, Al-Jawf and Al-Hadithah (near the border with Jordan). Each train is capable of running at up to 200km/h, and has Business and Economy class seating - and also sleeping cars for overnight services - a restaurant car, family sections, a prayer compartment and WiFi. Haramain High-Speed Railway[edit]The Haramain High-Speed Railway is a high-speed railway which links Mecca and Medina via Jeddah. Five services a day operate each way between Mecca and Medina, Wednesday to Sunday. Economy and Business Class is offered on the trains, with Business Class offering larger seats, newspapers, audio and video entertainment. Business Class passengers also have access to station lounges with complimentary coffee, dates, and other light snacks and refreshments. Note that the railway station in Mecca is located inside the city, therefore tickets to Mecca are only sold to Muslims. Medina station is accessible to all. By car[edit]The legal driving age in Saudi Arabia is 18. Car rental is available and gasoline is some of the cheapest in the world. Highway quality is highly variable, except highways that connect major cities, which are generally excellent. However, there are important reasons to think twice about car rental. The country has some of the highest accident rates in the world. Accidents are common, and if a visitor is involved in one, they would be exposed to the extremely punitive Saudi legal system; see elsewhere on this page for the warnings about that. If you are involved in a car accident all parties are required to stay where they are and wait for the Traffic Police (call 993) to turn up, which can take up to four hours. English is unlikely to be spoken by the police, even in big cities, so try to use the waiting time to arrange a translator. The police will issue an accident report, which you have to take to the traffic police station and get it stamped a few times in different queues (this takes most of a morning). Only then can any damage to the car be repaired, as insurance companies will not pay for any body work without this report. It is not uncommon for the traffic police to resolve the incident there and then by determining the guilty party and deciding compensation. So, should it be your fault the Police will ask you to pay an amount to the other party - but you are not obligated to do so. By taxi[edit]Within cities, taxis are the only practical means of transportation, which carries some safety risks for women. Metered fares (only in Riyadh) start at SAR5 and tick up at SAR1.60/km, but in other cities you'll often have to haggle the price in advance. Solo passengers are expected to sit up front next to the driver: this has the advantages of being next to the full blast of the air-con and making it easier to wave your hands to show the way. Be careful of unregistered cars claiming to be taxis. If possible, always ride with a friend who knows the country. There are no street addresses in Saudi Arabia, so you will have to know your route well, and pay attention to the road to explain to the driver where to turn. In the main cities, there are Uber-type mobile taxi services, which greatly simplifies the use of taxi. Talk[edit]Arabic is the official language of the Kingdom. There are numerous dialects spoken around the country, but the most important are Hejazi Arabic, originating from the Hejaz around Jeddah and the effective lingua franca, and Najdi Arabic, spoken in the Nejd around Riyadh. Many people understand some English, although markedly less well than in, say, the UAE. Hindi, Urdu, and Bengali are extensively used in the marketplaces and by sub-continent expatriates. All major languages are spoken in the markets of Makkah. There is a significant Tagalog-speaking expatriate minority as well. Nearly all road signs are in English as well as Arabic, although the vast majority of speed limit signs use only East Arabic numerals. See[edit]A professional tour guide licensed by the Supreme Commission for Tourism and National Heritage Buy[edit]The Saudi currency is the Saudi riyal (ريال, SAR), which has traded at a fixed 3.7450 to the US dollar since 1986. The riyal is divided into 100 halalas, which are used to mark some prices, but, in practice, all payments are rounded to the nearest riyal and odds are you probably will never see any halala coins. Bills come in values of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, and 500 riyals, with two series in circulation. The riyal is also pegged to the Bahraini dinar at a 10:1 ratio. If you are considering traveling to Bahrain, virtually all businesses in Bahrain will accept riyals, but the dinar is not as easily convertible in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia is still largely a cash society, but credit card and debit cards acceptance is surprisingly good everywhere. ATMs are ubiquitous especially in gas stations and malls, all banks accept foreign cards, the largest bank in the country in the National Commercial Bank. Money-changers can be found in souks, but are rare elsewhere. Foreign currencies are not accepted by merchants. Shortchange are rampant, the merchant and vending machine never give some loose change. Costs[edit]Prices are generally fairly expensive: figure on USD50/100/200 for budget, mid range and splurge-level daily travel costs. Tipping is generally not expected, although service staff are always happy to receive them and taxi fares are often rounded up (or, not uncommonly, down). Restaurants are now legally not allowed to include the 15% service charge on bills, it is considered illegal, and if found, politely ask them to remove it, it is a serious offense and the restaurant staff will quickly comply. The bill must state 0% service charge, and a tip is commonly respectfully given as 10% of the value of the bill, depending of course of the quality of service. Make sure to revise your bill before paying as sometime (like other places in the middle east) they would include an extra dish for extra charge. (Smoking is banned indoors throughout the country, see Eat section of this article) There are no sales taxes in Saudi, and for that matter, there aren't any income taxes either! What to buy[edit]Few local products are of interest to tourists. Locally grown dates are of high quality, and religious paraphernalia is widely available, but almost exclusively imported. Copies of the Qur'an are produced in a wide range of editions and sold at very low prices. Zam zam water is available throughout the Western Region and at all airports. Carpets are a favourite purchase, most of these coming from nearby Iran. Jeddah in particular has lots of carpets, many brought by pilgrims who sell them there to help finance their trip to Makkah. Large gold and jewellery markets are prominent in all major cities, especially in Jeddah, Makkah and Madinah. Gold prices are cheap in Saudi Arabia, and bargaining is a norm in most small to medium sized stores. Jeddah, Makkah and Madinah offer a lot of trading and variety in terms of luggage, clothing, jewellery, kick-knacks, souvenirs, toys, food, perfume, incense, and religious literature, audio, and paraphernalia. The Jeddah old town (Al-Balad) is internationally well known for its authentic, bazaar style, Arabic souk atmosphere, along with the Hijazi old building architecture. There you will find a lot of local and international products, from jewellery, perfume and incense to cloths, toys and food. Along with with many international people and cultures mixing, which gives you a sense of belonging to the world and a real feel to business and product trading. Although to a new visitor the place might look unsafe, Jeddah's Al-Balad is very safe, with police cars and officers patrolling the street and standing in every corner. Large, well maintained air-conditioned malls and grocery stores (i.e. Al-Danub, Geant, Carrefour) are scattered throughout the kingdom. Do[edit]Saudi Arabia is aggressively initiating an incredible amount of new projects, with entertainment venues propping up by the day it seems. Projects that come to mind are The Line at Neom, Neom itself, Oxagon, Trojena, the Red Sea mega project and Six Flags Qiddiya, which is nearing completion and will feature the tallest, fastest and longest roller coaster on earth amongst other attractions. There are plenty of natural, stunning attractions in Saudi Arabia and they're too long to list. The Empty Quarter, the largest sand desert on earth, is an example. Al-Ula, a historical Nabatean city, has some extraordinarily well preserved and effortlessly picturesque sites that are written about negatively in the Quran, which for the longest time has kept it off limits. Tourists have been flocking there in droves recently and Saudi Arabia has capitalized on this by creating luxury retreats and architectural marvels around the site. Al-Ula is a must visit. Edge of the world near Riyadh is a stunning sight. Women in Saudi Arabia are now allowed to drive and travel without being accompanied by a legal guardian and without the the need for a permission from a legal guardian. Scuba diving is popular on Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast. Movie theatres Vox cinemas and AMC have recently opened in the kingdom Video games are an eternal obsession of Saudi youth, and one which is capitalized upon rather well by local retailers. Video game shops are ubiquitous in all of the major cities. Authentic games are offered by most of the larger stores, as US or European imports for an average of c. SAR270 (c. USD$70), while the smaller ones usually only offer bootlegs (which are illegal, but still lucrative enough that almost all sell them) at very low prices of SAR10-15 (USD2.50-4). Wii and Xbox 360 bootlegs reign supreme, but certain stores offer Nintendo DS and PSP games as well, downloaded to a customer's removable media on request. Eat[edit]Like all other businesses in Saudi, restaurants are supposed to close during prayer hours, when they usually dim the lights and refuse service. Jeddah is well-known for its restaurants and cafes which can be found in every corner of every street, while Riyadh restricts its cafes to malls or outside the city. Smoking is banned indoors throughout the country's major cities; this law is very strict and restaurant owners will take it seriously as they risk closing their business. Smoking is allowed in the city in open areas only, which have very pleasant cold winds in winter evenings, but hot humid air (in Jeddah) in summer evenings. Indoor smoking is only allowed outside major cities. Fast food[edit]Fast food is a huge business in Saudi Arabia, with all the usual suspects (McDonalds, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Subway) and a few chains that rarely venture outside America elsewhere (e.g. Hardee's/Carl's Jr., Little Caesars). Meals invariably served with fries and Coke cost SAR 9-20. Some local imitators worth checking out include:
Cheaper yet are the countless curry shops run by and for Saudi Arabia's large Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi community, which serve up large thali platters of subcontinental fare for as low as 5 SAR. Just don't expect frills like air-conditioning. Fast food is certified halal in Saudi Arabia. Pork will NOT be served in Saudi Arabia, as pork is forbidden in Islam. Caution needs to be applied when eating in such restaurants since they do not follow western health and safety standards. Local cuisine[edit]The national Saudi Arabian dish is the Kabsa (orange/red coloured rice with lamb or chicken with strong essence and spices, but not chili). It is similar to the Indian Briyani but not quite the same. The Middle Eastern staple of shwarma (doner kebab) is widely available in dedicated little joints, with SAR3-4 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). Finding restaurants that serve actual Saudi cuisine is surprisingly very difficult. Although many larger hotels have Arabic restaurants, they are usually of lower quality. Your local Saudi or expatriate host may be able to show you some places, or if you're really lucky, an invitation to dinner at home.
Drink[edit]With alcohol, nightclubs, playing music in public and mingling with unrelated people of the opposite sex all banned by law, it's fair to say that nobody comes to Saudi Arabia for the nightlife. Coffee shops[edit]Pretty much the only form of entertainment for bachelors is the ubiquitous coffee shop, which serve not only coffee and tea, but also snacks. These are strictly a male domain in some cities like Riyadh, while they are very family oriented in Jeddah and surrounding cities. If, on the other hand, you're looking for a hazelnut frappucino, Starbucks and its legion competitors have established a firm foothold in the Kingdom's malls. As for the coffee (qahwa) there are two types: Turkish "black" coffee prepared in the traditional middle eastern way, served in a very small cup called "finjan" usually served with, or without, sugar. The other type which is strictly found only in Saudi Arabia is the Arabic "white" coffee, sometimes referred to as Saudi coffee. Spiced with cardamom (usually), but can contain saffron, cinnamon or ginger, this coffee is made with beans which have been very lightly roasted in contrast to Turkish or Western coffees. Saudi coffee can be an acquired taste, but is certainly worth trying. It drinks especially well with dates; the strong cleansing taste of the coffee matches well with sweet dates. As with Turkish coffee, it is served in very small cups called fingans. Arabic coffee never contains sugar. The etiquette is to wiggle the little cup when you are done with the coffee to have it taken. If you finish your coffee and do not wiggle the cup, your cup will be refilled as a matter of course! "Red" Tea (chai), is normal tea, which usually comes with dollops of sugar and perhaps a few mint leaves (na'ana). Green tea is normal herbal tea. All served in tiny cups. Arabs are well known to include sugar in their tea and coffee. Alcohol[edit]Alcoholic beverages are strictly forbidden throughout the country by law, although the police generally turn a blind eye to goings-on inside compounds for foreign expats, where homebrew wine is common. However, if they catch people involved in smuggling or distilling booze in quantity, then expat or not, Saudi law applies. A foreigner may not get the sentence a local would, but can expect at least a few months to a few years in jail, public flogging and whipping, followed by deportation. Death is the maximum punishment that very strict judges may sentence alcohol possessors. There is a local white lightning known among foreigners as "siddiqui" (Arabic for friend) or just as "sid". This is generally horrible-tasting and very potent. In addition to the obvious legal risk, there is a risk of inexpert distilling making it downright poisonous. The stuff is emphatically to be avoided. Do not drink and drive! is good advice anywhere, but especially in Saudi Arabia. If you have an accident, or otherwise attract police attention, the consequences might be serious indeed. Soft drinks[edit]As elsewhere in the Gulf, Saudis are big fans of various fruit juices, ranging from the ordinary (apple, orange) to the downright bizarre (banana-lemon-milk-walnut, anyone?). Non-alcoholic versions of alcoholic drinks are popular. Two of the most common are Saudi champagne, basically apple juice and Sprite or soda water, and malt beverages, ie. non-alcoholic beer, always sweet and often strongly flavored with mango, strawberry, apple, lemon etc essences. You can even get apple-flavored Budweiser! Bottled water is readily available and cheap at SAR2 or less for a 1.5L bottle, so many visitors and residents choose to play it safe. Many residents prefer to buy drinking water from purification stations. They like to drink a lot of water and fruit juice. Sleep[edit]Hotels of all types are available throughout the Kingdom. Most tourist cities (i.e. Jeddah, Makkah, Madinah, Taif, Al Abha) will also have very affordable and spacious shigka-maafroosha (short-term furnished rental apartments). Shigka-maafroosha owners generally loiter in hotel lobbies. Often, they will approach civilized-looking people and make an offer. Prices for shigka-mafrooshas and small hotels are always negotiable to a great degree. Smaller hotels will only accept cash, normally in advance. Larger, more expensive hotels are abundant in all major cities, you can expect to pay north of US$200 for a weekday night at a good hotel in any of the big Saudi cities. In exchange, you usually get excellent service and the ability to work around some restrictions (eg. restaurants that stay open through prayer hours and daytime room service during Ramadan). Stay healthy[edit]There are major health risks for travelling in Saudi Arabia: tap water is NOT drinkable but food is usually, but not always, hygienic. Hepatitis and Meningitis vaccinations are required for general travel to the Kingdom. For pilgrims joining the Hajj and its extraordinary concentrations of pilgrims from all corners of the globe, a comprehensive series of vaccinations is required as a condition for entry. See the Hajj article for details. Malaria, Dengue fever and the new SARS-like Coronavirus (Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome - Coronavirus "MERS-CoV") are major concerns when travelling to Saudi Arabia and all can potentially cause death if acquired. Stay Healthy. There are a lot of smokers in Saudi Arabia due to historically bad law management. Items such as cigarettes, cigars, and hookahs are banned from being sold to people under age, and banned in indoor areas inside all major cities. This is a very strict law considering breaking it carries the risk of immediate business termination by the government. Therefore, business owners will almost always strictly enforce these laws. The Kingdom has a wide-reaching national healthcare system, it is still considered one of the best in the Middle East in terms of diagnostic and technological advancement and quality of medical care. The services provided by this program are excellent and up to western standard, but with the disadvantages of very long queues, unregulated doctors, and restrictions to foreigners. Private hospitals are often run with the participation of foreign partners. These facilities are mostly very advanced and can be very expensive. Pharmacies are widely available and prescriptions are not required for most medications. Psychoactive medications are tightly controlled and available only through government pharmacies. Bottled water is easily available, and yes, it is actually more expensive than gasoline. Work[edit]There are quite a few jobs for expatriates in Saudi Arabia. While the pay is good, foreigners often find that the strictly conservative society, and the near-total lack of employees' rights, makes the country a very difficult place to work and live. To get a working visa, you must have a Saudi sponsor. Then to leave, you must get an exit visa, which requires that approval and signature of you sponsor. This can lead to major problems, with many foreigners and their families unable to leave the country. Western ESL teachers can find work in Saudi Arabia with a Bachelor`s Degree and a TESOL certification. ESL teachers in Saudi Arabia can expect to earn SAR8,000-13,000 (monthly) and will usually teach 20 – 30 hours in a week. Contracts will usually include accommodations and airfare. Preference is usually given to male teachers, since female teachers needed the company of their husbands until recently and a signed approval to work. Previous ESL work experience may be required. Foreigners who are African, Southeast Asian, and South Asian often are delegated to longer hour jobs which often have no benefits, low pays of a couple hundred Riyals a month, and are sometimes up to 120 hours a week. They can involve tedious or dangerous jobs that Saudis are uninterested in doing such as customer support, construction or physical labor. Do not mettle with these arrangements even if you disagree with how you see a worker is treated, the employers are protected by Saudi laws, pro-corporate attitudes, and approval of upper Saudi government officials so you will not change their mind you just risk putting yourself and those workers in danger by getting involved. Meddling can lead to jail or worse. Stay safe[edit]LGBT[edit]Homosexuality is illegal, and punishments range from imprisonment and flogging to the death penalty for the first offense. For the second offense, the penalty is an automatic death sentence. Homosexuals have been beheaded for “ugly acts of homosexuality”. Other issues[edit]One of the biggest dangers a visitor to Saudi Arabia faces is the Fahateen (bad drivers) (see Getting around - By car) — drive or pick your drivers carefully and buckle up your seatbelt. Due to the hot weather in the day time, make sure to drink plenty of water and stay away from secluded areas of the desert when rescuers will have a hard time finding out if you get too overheated. However, it also gets very cold at night so make sure that if you visit the sand dunes away from the major city, make sure to also bring a blanket and warmer clothing so you can stay warm. Also keep in mind that a cell phone may not work in the desert so if you bring a cell phone with you while you travel in the Arabian Desert, it may not be of use but bring it anyway, just in case. In addition, watch for sandstorms warnings. A big enough storm can bury you making your rescue impossible in the millions of miles of sand. While Saudi Arabia actually has one of the lowest crime rates in the world due to regular police presence in public, a certain very small background level of non-violent opportunistic theft like pick-pocketing and purse snatching does exist like any other part of the world. Police in Saudi Arabia are divided into three authorities: Traffic Police (coloured green), General Police (coloured blue), and Special Safety Police (coloured brown). General Police and Special Safety Police are not corrupt and are trained to be friendly and respectful with everyone, they are also very strict in enforcing laws. Traffic Police are generally considered corrupt and lazy. As a result, within the police culture they are considered the lowest level. Saudi Arabia is a monarchy and is headed by the al-Saud dynasty, which is largely respected. Voicing any criticism of the ruling monarchy is frowned upon in Saudi society and may warrant imprisonment. Also, due to the ongoing Israeli-Arab conflict it would be unwise to say anything which could be deemed to be provocative as this is a very sensitive issue. Prostitution is illegal in Saudi Arabia, as it follows the Islamic law, and punishments are very severe with punishment of up to death if charged with adultery. Sharia law can bring a visitor into contact with the local police and justice systems. The Saudi justice system (sharia) is notoriously very harsh. See Respect for how to stay out of trouble. Compounds[edit]Compounds (officially called residential camps) are gated communities within a city or town designed and designated for expats (specifically westerners). Most are owned by either the Saudi oil giant Saudi Aramco or the US security giant Vinnell. Only foreigners are allowed to live in them. Any expat wishing to visit or live in a compound will immediately notice the difference in social norms and freedoms. While inside compounds, women are allowed to mingle with unrelated men. Inside compounds, all public places (including movie theaters, restaurants, pools, and international schools) aren't segregated. Alcohol is still banned; however, many expats home brew their own, and police usually turn a blind eye to this. Security in all compounds is different than outside them. Anyone, foreigner or not, who wishes to enter or exit a compound must have their ID with them, as well as be prepared to have their car and possessions inspected. Anyone who lives in the particular compound doesn't go through the checks, unlike those who don't live in the compound. Sneaking into a compound isn't the best idea to do: all compounds are walled in and surrounded by barbed wire and security cameras on the outside. The Saudi military acts as the official police of the compounds; they are heavily armed with automatic rifles and machine guns, and are ordered to shoot anyone attempting to illegally enter a compound. However, living within compounds is expensive compared to living off them, with prices ranging from SAR100,000 to over 200,000 for a three bedroom villa. Respect[edit]Although you may feel that you're safe to do what you want and disregard the laws here, don't attempt to push your luck. It's better to be a law-abiding person than to end up in jail. Visitors to Saudi Arabia are required to respect local conventions, in particular regarding culture. Saudi law is reserved for offenders of Sharia Law and true criminals like drug smugglers. With a modicum of common sense you'll be just fine, and should a visitor accidentally cause some minor offense, the reaction will generally be amusement rather than anger. But still be reserved. Law and morality[edit]The really important rules to beware of are enshrined in written Saudi law, with criminals subject to the full strength of the Saudi penal system. In addition to obvious crimes like murder (punishable by beheading) and theft (amputation of the hand for repeat offenders), acts considered serious crimes include mixing of unrelated people of the opposite sex which does include your partner if you aren't legally married (this does not apply to tourists), homosexual activity, and possession of alcohol, drugs or pork meat. The Saudi legal system is in practice very arbitrary, being fully based on Shariah with many penalties largely dependent on the personal interpretation of the judge. If you plan on travelling there with your unmarried partner remember the female party must have a male relative accompanying you at all times. In practice, though, most visitors will be primarily concerned with the code of morality, involving things like women not covering up properly, not observing prayer or (during Ramadan) fasting times, etc. Which is natural, as you want to respect the culture you're coming to. Men[edit]Locals almost universally wear a thoub (white robe with sleeves) with a ghutra or shimag (headdress), but the standard dress code for foreign men in Saudi Arabia is long trousers and a long-sleeved shirt although T-shirts are increasingly common. Shorts are an uncommon sight outside the gym or beach, but many tourists wear them. As of Feb 2022 the official government guidelines only prohibit men wearing shorts in government building and mosques (with fine between 200-500 SAR). Contrary to rumors, men with long hair do not need to cut it before entering the kingdom. Shoulder-length locks are common and many men have long hair in Saudi Arabia. Bedouins, which constitute the majority of the population, are well known culturally not to cut their hair, which is usually hidden under the headdress. Social Etiquette[edit]
Things to avoid[edit]Politics:
Photography:
Religion:
Contact[edit]By phone[edit]
And yes, you can bring in your own phone: despite grumblings from the clerics, both camera phones and multimedia messaging (MMS) are now legal. By net[edit]Internet cafes abound in major Saudi cities, and many shopping malls feature a gaming parlor or two. Rates are around SAR5/hour. While Internet in Saudi Arabia is cordoned off by a filter, it aims primarily at pornography, non-Islamic religious and domestic political sites in Arabic, illegal gambling, criticisms against their religion and government and (from the traveller's point of view) is nowhere near as strict as, say, China's. Google, Skype, Wikipedia and all major webmail providers, etc, are all accessible. Internet censorship in Saudi Arabia might not be as strict as other countries in the Middle East. This is because social sites such as Facebook and Twitter are not banned in the country. Although Skype is also allowed, the Saudi government has banned the smartphone app Viber. By mail[edit]Saudi Post has a good network of post offices around the country, but offices are closed Friday and Saturday. Stamps for postcards to anywhere in the world cost SAR4. The bigger problem is actually finding postcards, as the mutawwa periodically crack down on the celebration of non-Islamic holidays like Valentine's Day, Christmas or even birthdays, causing all cards of any sort to disappear from book stores! Your best bet is thus gift shops in major hotels. Mail coming in to the country from overseas is notoriously unreliable. Stories abound of thing arriving months after they were sent or never arriving at all. There are branches of DHL, FedEx and UPS operating throughout the kingdom so a good rule of thumb is to have anything important sent through those channels. WikiPedia:Saudi Arabia World66:asia/middleeast/saudiarabia
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