Saudi Arabia

Understand

Saudi Arabia is officially known as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ( المملكة العربية السعودية, al-Mamlakah al-ʿArabīyah as-Suʿūdīyah). The country takes its name from the House of Saud, the ruling royal family that has dominated the country's political landscape for more than three centuries. One of the world's few remaining absolute monarchs, the King of Saudi Arabia wields enormous political power: they are the head of the House of Saud, the head of the government, the supreme commander-in-chief of the Saudi military and choose their own successor.

History

The first Saudi state was founded by Muhammad bin Saud Al Muqrin in 1727, in the town of Diriyah, today on the northwest outskirts of the capital Riyadh. In 1744, Muhammad bin Saud formed a political alliance with Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, the founder of the Wahhabi school of Sunni Islam, in which Wahhabi Islam was made the state religion, in exchange for the religious endorsement of the Saud family's right to rule by al-Wahhab and his descendants. The Saud family were sheikhs 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 Abd al-Aziz Ibn Saud and a few dozen lads rode out to raid their home territory. As it turned out, the invaders had been ruling badly, so many locals joined them. They not only re-captured Riyadh, but also much of the surrounding territory. After that, Abdul Aziz spent the next 30 years trying to unify the Arabian Peninsula. The area united under him became known as Saudi Arabia. In the 1930s, the discovery of oil transformed the country, and Saudi Arabia became a key U.S. ally in the Middle East in 1933. Saudi Arabia's oil wealth was instrumental to the Allied victory in World War II, as the Saudis were able to keep the American military well-stocked with fuel. Following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990, Saudi Arabia accepted the Kuwaiti royal family and 400,000 refugees while allowing W

Getting there

Entry requirements

Saudi Arabia used to be nearly impossible to visit except for work or pilgrimage, but tourist visas were introduced in 2019. If you are flying in and out with either Saudia or Flynas, you may also be eligible for a free 96-hour transit visa; this must be applied for directly from the flight booking site. Citizens of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries ― Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates ― enjoy freedom of movement in Saudi Arabia. They can enter the country with their national ID cards and stay indefinitely. Non-citizen residents of these countries (with a valid residence permit with at least three months' validity) are eligible for e-visas. Note that this is not the same link as the e-visas available for citizens of certain countries mentioned below (and is often what search engines show up) – this can be confusing. 1-year multiple entry visa, 90 days stay. Note that a passport is required; unlike citizens, national ID cards cannot be used for entry. e-Visas are available online for citizens of member states of the European Union, and of Albania, Andorra, Australia, Azerbaijan, Brunei, Canada, China (mainland), Georgia, Hong Kong, Iceland, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Liechtenstein, Macau, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Monaco, Montenegro, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Russia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, San Marino, Seychelles, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States and Uzbekistan. These are valid for one year and are multi-entry, with a maximum 90-day stay on any single visit. They are valid for tourism, business, receiving medical treatment and performing Umrah but not for Hajj. In 2025, these cost SR535, but include emergency travel medical insurance. Other citizens may obtain e-visas if they are long-term residents of a GCC country, the United States, the United Kingdom or any EU member state, or if they hold a valid tourist

Getting around

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:

The area around Mecca is off limits to non-Muslims; the exclusion zone is well signposted The city center of Medina used to be off-limits to non-Muslims, but the rules were relaxed in 2021; outside of Hajj season, non-Muslims may now enter the city center of Medina up to the perimeter fence around the Prophet's Mosque and take photos from the outside, though entry into the mosque compound is still forbidden. Those on Hajj visas are prohibited from leaving the area around Mecca and Medina (and transit points like Jeddah). Some remote areas, notably around the Iraqi and Yemeni borders, are restricted military zones. You're exceedingly unlikely to stumble into them by accident.

By plane 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.

By bus

The Saudi Arabian Public Transport Company (SAPTCO) 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 several kilometres away from the city centre. The Riyadh-Dammam service, for example, costs SR60 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 centre-to-city centre services, plush seating and a meal on-board. They are quite good value, if the sparse sched

See

There is an abundance of things to see and explore in Saudi Arabia, from ancient ruins to stunning natural landscapes.

Museums and landmarks

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.

World heritage sites

Saudi Arabia has numerous UNESCO World Heritage sites.

7 Hegra (Madain Saleh) — a large, Nabataean archaeological site in Northern Saudi Arabia. It's very similar to Petra in neighbouring Jordan, and it might perhaps be the country's best known world heritage site. 8 Al-Ahsa Oasis — the world's largest