I have just left the mighty Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia after a short one week trip.
It’s one country I never expected to visit, but after my stay in Dubai, the stars aligned and I was able to pop over and finally see the Arabian kingdom with my own eyes.
Here’s a quick recap of my trip, and some tips for you if you ever decide to go.
Saudi has been making a push to boost their tourism industry lately, so you might find yourself booking a trip sooner than you thought!
Day 1:
This was a recovery day, as I’d had a hectic final few days in Dubai and was in need of some serious downtime.
I did nothing at all except sleep and order food on Careem.
I did, however, manage to get myself out of bed and take a walk for dinner.
The nearest block of restaurants was 40 minutes away, but to my pleasant surprise, it wasn’t too hot to walk after dark.
I stopped by at the Royal Mall on the way, which sounds fancy, but was underwhelming and just store after store selling the same traditional clothes, and a lone waffle shop in the centre.
My destination for dinner was the famous Mama Noura – a popular chain in Riyadh selling typical Saudi dishes, of which their shawarma is supposed to be one of the best in town.
I had the beef grill with lemon juice. A pleasant surprise in Riyadh was the abundance of fresh fruit juices – it’s in every restaurant! And of course the region is famous for pomegranates, so I ended up having pomegranate juice for breakfast, lunch and dinner on most days.
I also had to try the shawarma, so after my stomach had settled I went for a second round – this time juice and shawarma – just so I could report back to all you fine readers how good it is.
How good is it?
Well – it’s really just chicken, salad and mayonnaise so… I’ll say 7/10. Cheap though! (about $2 USD).
Overall I can see why Mama Noura is so popular – food is fresh and the place is clean and cheap. Would definitely go back!
Day 2:
I started my day by going for a run through the Riyadh backstreets.
I got a few funny looks from people, I think because I looked crazy running in the beating hot sun.
Being too lazy for any sightseeing afterwards, I relaxed at the hotel until dinner time where I decided to head to the famous Al Romansiah.
This chain is supposedly one of the best local places to eat a “kabsa” – a popular Saudi rice dish.
The thing was enormous and it’s ridiculous one person is supposed to eat that much rice, but if you’re looking for value for money, it’s a winner.
I only managed to eat half, the rest I took home and it was enough for two days of breakfast!
After sitting for an hour to digest one million kilos of rice, I paid a visit to the Riyadh Gallery Mall. It’s one of the most popular malls in Riyadh so seemed like the perfect place to grab tea and dessert.
After wandering the whole thing, I found myself disappointed at how normal it was. I expected malls in Saudi to be extravagant, but it was like any mall you’d find back in New Zealand (not even close to the grand malls of Asia or Mall of Dubai).
Day 3:
Time to finally see some sights!
I headed first to the Masmak Fort, which unfortunately was under renovation at the time.
Luckily, right next to the Masmak Fort are a few other sights.
Deera Square or Chopchop Square as it’s sometimes called by tourists, is famous for being the site of live executions, where beheadings take place (yes, even recently). I guess it’s a sensitive place because there are no signs or information boards to share the history of it, so you’re left to Google and learn about it for yourself.
Right beside that is the big mosque, I didn’t go inside because I was afraid I might do something I’m not supposed to, but I’ve heard tourists are allowed in at certain times.
A spent an hour sitting outside watching the sunset over the flag, the weather was good and it’s a great place to people-watch.
An Iranian woman approached me while I was sitting there and asked if I spoke English. She needed a hotspot to call an Uber, so we sat there chatting while she waited. Since she wasn’t wearing a hijab and had long hair, she started drawing a lot of (not good) attention from the many men walking by. Many were staring as they walked past so I asked her about it. She laughed it off and said “they’re not used to seeing a lady’s hair”.
This was interesting because in other parts of Riyadh (like in the malls) you can see women without hijabs and it seems quite normal. So obviously the strictness of the dress-code must differ depending on the area. I’m guessing it’s because we were outside the mosque that it was drawing attention.
Once the sun had set, I made my way over to the popular Riyadh Boulevard on the other side of town.
This is a development area in Riyadh with a theme park and a large entertainment/shopping street.
I didn’t visit the theme park but I walked through the shopping area and found it a bit strange. It’s very well-built and maintained but it’s a flashy outdoor mall in the middle of nowhere and just felt odd walking through it. It’s complete with a food court, restaurants, cinema and some other entertainment things like VR and games and so on – reminded me a bit of Japan. Hard to describe but in any case, you should definitely visit if you’re in Riyadh! Interesting place.
Finally, it was over to Tahliah Street to have some dinner and relax.
Tahliah Street is a very popular and developed eating/shopping street in central Riyadh. One thing that took me by surprise is how popular American fast food is here. They have Arbys, Popeyes, Chuck E Cheese, Burger King, IHOP, Five Guys, Shake Shack – almost every American chain no matter how popular or obscure, they seem to have it! We don’t even have most of those in New Zealand.
I decided to eat at one of the bougie traditional restaurant called Awani.
The menu has endless interesting choices, but I went for the Maajoua Halabiyeh – a “kebab pie” or let’s just call it a huge stuffed meatball, and the Shish Barak – Saudi beef dumplings in a yogurt sauce.
Both were great! If I’m ever in Saudi again, I’d love to try the rest of the menu. Recommended!
Day 4:
On the skirts of Riyadh are the Tuwaik Mountains.
There’s a spot where the mountain range falls off, a famous viewing point for enjoying the sunset/sunrise.
I booked a sunset tour, which turned out to be quite popular. We had 20 people in my group from all over the world. After a quick roll-call/coffee, we split up into small groups and were put into 4WD’s to head out into the mountains.
It’s a one-hour drive, and you should arrive an hour before sunset giving you time to wander around and take photos.
The view is quite spectacular and once the cliffs fall off it extends forever beyond the eyes can see.
After spending an hour taking photos and hiking to the different viewing points, you’ll choose a spot to watch the sunset.
Obviously, it’s turned into a business so you’ll be sharing it with a few hundred other tourists, however, doesn’t make the sunset any less beautiful!
Once the sun is down, you’ll be served “dinner under the stars”.
While we were walking back for dinner, I asked the guy I’d been walking around with to guess what dinner would be. He said “chicken and rice,” and we both laughed because that’s all they seem to eat in Saudi Arabia.
We arrived at the camp and dinner turned out to be … surprise! Chicken and rice. But we also had a pasta soup and some vegetables, and a cup of Pepsi – our lucky day!
Definitely a worthwhile day trip to see something different in Riyadh and meet a few other travellers. I sat with a helicopter engineer from Peru who was working in a small city in Saudi, and a Brazilian traveller who had just visited Afghanistan, so we all had lots of interesting stories to share. The best part of travelling, isn’t it?
I booked this tour through GetYourGuide which cost about $100!
Day 5:
This was my final day in Saudi, so the plan was to wake up early and have a big traditional Saudi breakfast at the popular Shawarma House.
I failed miserably and didn’t get to the restaurant until 1 p.m. Luckily they were still serving breakfast, so I ordered the biggest one and as soon as it hit my table I knew I had zero chance of finishing it.
It had chicken, beef, beans, lentils, salads, and two huge sheets of bread, easily enough for four people!
It also gave me a chance to try the famous Saudi dish fool (beans) which I’d been looking for everywhere.
What’s it like? Well .,..it tastes like beans (helpful I know).
After a nap to survive the digestion of that monstrous breakfast, I was in an Uber heading out to Al-Awwal Park Stadium.
If that name doesn’t ring a bell, it’s the home of the Al Nassr Football Club, the current home of the one and only Cristiano Ronaldo.
I don’t even watch football and know almost nothing about it, but something told me it would be a crime to leave Saudi without watching them play, especially since their stadium was just a short drive from my hotel.
Tickets were very reasonable (about $40) for great seats – centrefield and only 4 or 5 rows from the field.
Unfortunately they lost, but I had fun. I think it was my first ever live pro football match!
How To Get A Visa For Saudi Arabia
The first challenge in getting to Saudi Arabia is securing a visa … or so I thought.
It turned out to be the easiest and fastest visa I’ve ever gotten in my life.
Saudi has been making a big tourism push to diversify its economy, so it appears they’ve tried to make the visa process as easy as possible. I’m pleased to report their efforts have been a success.
It’s an e-visa and done all online. First, head to the official visa website here. Make sure you’re from one of the eligible countries – most Western countries qualify.
Fill out the details like any other visa form and make the payment. As I write this, the cost is 395 Saudi riyals ( ~$100 USD).
As soon as I submitted my payment, I was approved and received my visa in my email almost instantly – I’m talking less than a minute! I didn’t even need a return ticket (they didn’t check at the airport either).
If you want to learn more about the visa process, the visitsaudi website has a lot of good info (on the visa and Saudi in general).
Arriving In Saudi And Getting Around
In case you’re not aware, Saudi Arabia is a rich country, so its facilities are generally good.
The airport is nothing spectacular, but it’s a modern and well-functioning airport similar to what you’ll see in Dubai or Qatar.
Going through customs, the officer kindly explained how my visa worked and that I could return any time within the next year as long as my total days stayed don’t exceed 90 days. She also spoke excellent English! I’d later learn this is quite rare in Saudi.
Once you’re out of the airport, you’re going to need transport. You can get taxis, but I find it much easier to use Uber or Careem (the Middle East Uber). There is a specific pick-up point at the airport for rideshare app users, so it was easy.
Riyadh is a scattered city (definitely NOT walkable). The drive from the airport to my hotel was long and there seemed to be a lot of road and not much city. It seemed very disjointed, like a big developed area, then nothing, then another big developed area, then nothing.
Also it seemed quite common to have a random pizza shop or burger place just sitting in the middle of nowhere. Normally things like that are built beside apartment complexes or in shopping areas, but often you would see shops just sitting alone with nothing significant around them for several blocks. Very strange.
In short – you will need taxis to get around, and most don’t accept cash, so Careem is your best bet.
Where To Stay In Riyadh
I stayed near the Kingdom Centre, which is a famous landmark in Riyadh, but I wouldn’t recommend it.
There is nothing around there, and not many eating options either!
I ended up having to Uber around during meal times to find something.
After spending a week in the city, I would recommend staying on or near Tahliah Street.
It’s a street full of shops and restaurants, very safe and upper scale, and pleasant to walk.
I would recommend the Narcissus Hotel. It’s flashy, but that’s what Saudi is known for, perfectly located too. You’ll get the best rates here.
For something a bit cheaper, you could try something like Al Muhaidb Al Diwan.
For anything on a smaller budget than that, you’ll probably need to try a different area.
Booking.com will have plenty of cheaper places around Riyadh to choose from!
Sim Card In Saudi
You’re also going to want a sim. Since I was only there for a week I decided to try one of these e-sim services for the first time. There are a billion to choose from these days, but I went with Airalo and it was excellent!
I got 3GB for around $15 and it was more than enough to last my trip. Everything was managed through the app and seamless.
Of course for longer stays, local sims are preferable, but 1-2 week stays this was so convenient and useful. Will definitely use them more going forward. Highly recommended.
Enjoy Saudi!!