The guardian of Islam's holiest sites and Arabia's ancient trade routes is now open for tourism — Diriyah's mud-brick palaces, the extraordinary Nabataean ruins of AlUla, and the Red Sea's coral reefs.
- Capital
- Riyadh
- Population
- 35,300,280
- Area
- 1,960,582 km²
- Languages
- Arabic
- Currency
- Saudi Riyal (SAR)
- GDP
- $1,083,749M
Good to know
Driving side
Right
National dish
Kabsa
Annual visitors
20,292,000 (2019)
Safety
Very low (0.94/100k)
Big Mac
$5.07
Avg temp
25.9°C
Religion
Islam
Coast
Coastal
☎ Police 999 · Ambulance 997 · Fire 998
Travel guide
Saudi Arabia (Arabic: السعودية, as-Suʿūdīyah) is the quintessential Arab kingdom. Vast deserts, scorching heat, immense oil wealth, camel races, glitzy shopping malls, traditional souq markets, you can find every Arabian cliche you can think of and then some here. A deeply conservative country that was entirely closed off to (non-pilgrimage) tourism for decades, the government did a drastic policy U-turn in 2019 and has been trying to open up the country to the world and shed the country's straight-laced image, with mixed success. 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 enforce 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. Nevertheless, you should not travel to Saudi Arabia if you are unprepared to accept strict limitations on your freedom of expression and behaviour.
© Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA)
Explore Saudi Arabia
Best time to visit
November–February is the ideal period with mild temperatures (18–25°C). AlUla best December–March. Riyadh and Jeddah: October–April. Red Sea diving: year-round. Summer (June–September) is very hot (45°C+).
Visa
Saudi Arabia launched a tourist visa in 2019. Citizens of 60+ countries including US, UK, EU, Canada, and Australia can obtain an e-Visa at visa.visitsaudi.com. Valid 1 year, multiple entry, 90 days per stay.
UNESCO World Heritage Sites (8)
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Major cities
Riyadh
Saudi Arabia's ultra-modern capital, rapidly opening to tourism, with the Edge of the World cliffs and the National Museum.
AlUla
Saudi Arabia's Petra — extraordinary Nabataean rock-cut tombs and sandstone formations in a desert canyon of archaeological wonder.
Jeddah
Saudi Arabia's historic Red Sea port, with the UNESCO Al-Balad old city of coral-brick buildings and the world's tallest fountain.