Travelling in Saudi Arabia – Thoughts and experiences

In a women-only area outside the Quba Mosque in Medina, Saudi Arabia

We travelled independently through Saudi Arabia for three weeks, covering 4000 kilometres of desert terrain. Travelling in Saudi Arabia as two female travellers was certainly an interesting experience and while we are glad we did it, it wasn’t entirely enjoyable all the time.

We loved the food, which offered plenty of vegetarian options, but the clothing issue and the general attitude towards women were, as expected, annoying. Some sightseeing spots were fantastic, while others were fairly average. Driving a rental car in Saudi Arabia also did have its challenges. Quite a few, actually.

This post details our experiences on a self-organised road trip. We rented a car in Jeddah, went on to Medina and Al Ula, then headed north to Tayma and Sakkara. From there we returned via the central provinces, taking in Jubbah and Burayda on our way to Riyadh. We ended the trip with a detour to the Wahba Crater and returned to Jeddah via Taif.

Sightseeing in Saudi Arabia

Nabataean tombs at Jebal al Ahmar in Hegra

The Nabataean tombs of Hegra near Al Ula were one of the main reasons for us to travel to Saudi Arabia, and they didn’t disappoint. Years ago, we have visited the Nabataean city of Petra in Jordan, which was even more impressive. But Hegra was absolutely worth the trip.

Rock art showing a horse-drawn waggon in Jubbah, Saudi Arabia

We also enjoyed exploring Saudi Arabia’s ancient rock art. The camels, ibex, and even a horse-drawn carriage in Jubbah were spectacular. The density and quality of the rock-art rivalled the stunning petroglyphs we’ve seen in Central Asia. A highlight was a lonesome desert hike to the split rock near Tayma which also features prehistoric art.

Natascha walking in the desert near Tayma during our travels in Saudi Arabia

The Old Town of Jeddah, Al-Balad, was very photogenic, but we ultimately preferred Riyadh’s vibe. The famed Najd architecture and heritage villages like Ushaiqer were nice in a way, but started to feel overly reconstructed after a while. They mostly consisted of empty mudbrick lanes that come alive only during operetta-style weekend reenactments. We preferred to roam the less reconstructed historical sites, such as Fayd, once a major station on the ancient pilgrimage route between Iraq and Mecca.

Vegetarian food

As vegetarian travellers, we had low expectations when we decided to travel in Saudi Arabia. Surprisingly, the food turned out better than expected. Saudi cuisine in itself isn’t particularly vegetarian-friendly – the locals seem to favour barbecues and, in particular, camel meat. But we rarely ate at Saudi restaurants. One reason was the dining setup: As women, we were confined to private cubicles, which felt dull and rather isolating. The meals there were served in plastic containers with plastic forks and spoons. Everything was put on a plastic sheet spread on the floor.

Instead, we ended up eating mostly in the simple eateries run by guest workers. And this became a highlight of our travel in Saudi Arabia. Afghan restaurants introduced us to Adas lentil soup and Murtabak Khadaal – both fantastic choices for vegetarians. In Pakistani places, we enjoyed rich Curries and hearty Thali. Egyptian restaurants offered the ever-reliable Kushari – a vegetarian staple we depend on whenever we visit Egypt. And the Yemeni cuisine delighted us with sweet treats like Masoub and Arika, bread puddings with cream and nuts.

Travelling in Saudi Arabia as vegetarians turned out to be a rewarding culinary experience for us. Thanks to the diverse flavours brought by the guest worker communities.

Travelling in Saudi Arabia as women: the Abaya and the headscarf

Our black abayas (Saudi style cloaks for women) in a hotel closet

As women travelling in Saudi Arabia, the Abaya and headscarf were as annoying as we had expected – perhaps even more so. After an unpleasant groping experience in a hotel elevator on the very first day (just a coincidence?) we bought Abayas. These are the long black coats worn by virtually all women in the country. By law, we would not have been required to wear them, and neither are the local women. But they do. If they are daring, they may opt for one with a coloured pattern on the sleeve or a blue Abaya. Or leave it open, in modern parts of a large city.

The cheap black Abayas we bought in the Souq had the texture of a shower curtain and a similar feel, especially in the 30°C heat of Jeddah. We would even wear them inside the hotel when only asking for a second towel at the hotel reception (there were never two towels in the room).

Since nearly all women in Saudi Arabia wear headscarves – and the majority also cover the lower part of their face with a black Niqab –, we also carried scarves with us. Isa got used to wearing hers properly most of the time and even became somewhat skilled in tying it, albeit in a rather dowdy style. Just like in Iran, where we resented the headscarf enforcement, we struggled to adjust in Saudi Arabia. It felt absurd: In a country where “cross dressing” is a punishable offense, we were practically forced to dress up in such a “costume”. We did not like being in a situation where something as simple as our clothing choices became so complicated and important.

Travelling in Saudi Arabia as women: very mixed experiences

Saudi men and boys in traditional garments at a stall for old weapons in Riyadh

As for the proclaimed politeness towards women, we had very mixed experiences. In local buses for instance, men always had to get up when women boarded the bus (which was rare). Also, they were not allowed to sit too close to women they were not related to (e.g., in the next seat). If they didn’t immediately get up, the conductor would enforce this. And beyond our first day, we never had any unpleasant experiences in Saudi Arabia.

On the other hand, men always got priority treatment. Even when we were clearly waiting at a counter to order some food, staff would immediately turn to serve any newly arrived man first. Public toilets also reflected this imbalance: at highway rest areas, women’s facilities were in the farthest corner, often bleak and isolated. There were generally no public toilets except inside (or behind) the mosques, not even in restaurants.

But then, women were a rare sight in public, especially in smaller cities or at highway rest areas. In Tayma, for instance, where we stayed for two nights, we saw a total of four women, three of them in one group.

Renting a car in Saudi Arabia

Our rented car in the Saudi Arabian desert

We rented a car in Jeddah via an online booking site to avoid potential complications. As two women travelling without a man, we were cautious, having read about instances when women were denied rentals without explanation. After all, it has only been a few years that women in Saudi Arabia are allowed to drive at all. Clad in black abayas, headscarves, and sunglasses, we managed to secure a vehicle.

A dented, run-down Chinese car that later gave us a flat tire. Contacting the rental agency proved impossible, but perhaps that was a separate issue.

Driving a rental car on the roads of Saudi Arabia

Road sign near Mecca ordering non-muslims to use a bypass road to avoid the holy city of Mecca

Saudi drivers have a very bad reputation, and we can confirm all the negative preconceptions. Few drivers adhered to official traffic rules. Instead, we had to figure out the unwritten ones: Drive as if in a computer game, focusing only on what’s a few meters ahead. Never indicate your plan to change the lane because the others will close the gap so as not to let you in. For that reason, abrupt speed changes were quite risky.

Going with the flow was a particular challenge since speed cameras were plentiful. We kept to the speed limits, avoiding the fines locals seemed to accept as routine. Thankfully, the desert roads and highways (of which we experienced thousands of kilometres) were for the most part empty, offering a reprieve from the chaos of the cities.

Winding Saudi mountain road between Al Hada and Mecca

Another challenge of travelling in Saudi Arabia by car was navigation. On country highways there were no proper junctions: Turning left usually meant driving right, and then several kilometres to the next U-turn. Locals sometimes ignored this by driving against the traffic to save time.

Highway junctions in cities have a different system, though. The three or four-lane highways are accompanied by parallel-running branch roads of another three lanes. In order to turn left, or right, or make a U-turn from a highway, you have to switch to the branch road and find the right turn-off. From the branch road, on the other hand, it is impossible to go straight …

Adjusting to this system required some time, and learning to adapt to the Saudi driving culture was both fascinating and frustrating.

Moving about in Saudi Arabia as pedestrians

Inner-city highway in Riyadh

We tried to leave the rental car at the hotel parking in bigger cities and walk as much as we could. However, enormous highways and their labyrinthine junctions dominate the cities, making walking appalling sometimes. In Medina, we stayed in a hotel about 3 kilometres from the Prophet’s Mosque and thought walking to the city centre would be feasible. No way. Insurmountable highways stood between us and our destination. Riyadh and Jeddah offered a few pedestrian bridges to cross the city highways, but reaching them often required detours of several kilometres.

Walking in some neighbourhoods of some cities was ok, as long as we stayed within their boundaries. Otherwise, the best option was to call a ride at least to cross those highways. We used Careem (the local taxi app) and it worked fine for us. Riyadh was the only city with a useful bus network. And during our visit the new metro opened which greatly improved accessibility.

Meeting local people

Women in black abayas and niqab in the gold souq in Taif

In most countries, it is relatively easy to meet local people and share some small exchanges about their lives and ours. However, in Saudi Arabia we rarely met Saudi nationals in our day-to-day activities. Hotels and restaurants and all kinds of other tourist facilities were predominantly staffed by foreigners. We did meet a lot of very friendly Afghans, Pakistanis, Egyptians – all of them were men.

We also met the welcoming Saudi women who staffed the visitor centres at archaeological sites, such as Jubbah or Kharash Castle in Fayd. They spoke reasonably good English and always asked us to rate the visitor centre and give some video feedback on the service. This meant sometimes up to ten minutes of rating activities.

Accommodation and hospitality

We stayed in relatively cheap hotels, usually a bit outside the city centre. They were decent, with a price level and value for money comparable to Eastern Europe. Most of the time they didn’t offer room cleaning, and some part of the shower was often slightly broken, or the Internet didn’t work. However, the beds were always firm and comfortable. While almost none of the hotels offered two towels in the twin room, most had “hospitality”.

Premium dates in the Musa and Palm shop in Jeddah

“We have hospitality” was a phrase we often heard in hotels and other facilities. Initially we expected it to mean exceptional friendliness or a unique service. Instead, we found out that it referred to the traditional offering of sweet dates and a spiced coffee. There would be a thermos flask of this peculiar Saudi Coffee in the lobby. A small, strong, yellowish coffee boiled with cardamom and saffron. At tourist sites, the friendly female staff (see above) were the ones responsible for preparing the dates and the coffee, they told us.

Oh, and there was no alcohol, though this didn’t bother us.

Have you been travelling in Saudi Arabia? What where your thoughts and experiences? Let us know in the comments.

We were not sponsored in any way to write this blog post and we paid all expenses by ourselves.

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