Asia > Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia is a country that has changed faster in the past decade than almost anywhere else on earth. For most of its modern history it was sealed off to outside visitors — tourism visas simply did not exist. Then in 2019 the kingdom opened up, issuing e-visas to citizens of 49 countries almost overnight, and the transformation has been accelerating ever since. Women can now drive, cinemas have reopened after a 35-year ban, mixed-gender concerts fill arenas, and some of the most spectacular ancient sites on the planet are being prepared for mass visitors for the first time.
None of this means Saudi Arabia has become an easy or familiar destination. It remains a deeply conservative Muslim country where alcohol is prohibited, modest dress is expected, and the pace of life shifts dramatically during Ramadan. But the strangeness is part of the appeal. You are visiting a society in the middle of a remarkable transition, and the contrast between ancient desert culture and gleaming Vision 2030 megaprojects is genuinely fascinating.
Geographically the country is enormous — roughly the size of Western Europe — and the landscape is far more varied than the cliché of endless flat desert. The northwest has rose-red canyon country and the Nabataean tombs of Hegra. The southwest has the green Asir mountains, cool enough for clouds and apple orchards. The Hejaz coast along the Red Sea has some of the world's best coral reefs. The central plateau around Riyadh is limestone tableland edged by spectacular escarpments. The Empty Quarter in the south is the largest sand desert on earth.
The country's spiritual core, Mecca and Medina, remain off-limits to non-Muslims. This is worth knowing before you go. But the rest of the country — and there is an enormous amount of it — is now open.
Destinations
- Riyadh — the capital, a sprawling modern city with excellent museums and the historic Diriyah district nearby
- Jeddah — the Red Sea port city, the most cosmopolitan in the kingdom, with a beautiful UNESCO-listed old town
- Mecca — the holiest city in Islam, accessible to Muslims only
- Medina — the second holiest city, also restricted to Muslims
- Dammam — gateway to the Eastern Province and the oil country
- Khobar — modern city on the Gulf, connected to Bahrain by causeway
- Dhahran — home to Saudi Aramco, the world's largest oil company
- Yanbu — Red Sea port with good diving
- Ta'if — mountain city above Mecca, cool and green in summer
- Asir — the mountainous southwest, centered on Abha
- Ha'il — northern city, gateway to the Nafud desert
- Sakakah — in the Al-Jawf region in the far northwest
- Al-Ahsa — ancient oasis in the Eastern Province, UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Qatif — historic town on the Gulf coast
