Saudi ArabiaLocationFlagQuick FactsCapitalRiyadhGovernmentAbsolute monarchyCurrencySaudi riyal (SAR)...

1. Discover: Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
Location
Flag
Quick Facts
Capital
Riyadh
Government
Absolute monarchy
Currency
Saudi riyal (SAR)
Area
1,960,582km²
Population

2. 27,601,038 includes 5,576,076 non-nationals (July 2007 est.)
Language
Arabic
Religion
Legally required to be a Muslim, but many Christians (including Eastern Orthodox, Protestant, and
Roman Catholic), Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, and other religions secretly practice their faiths
without citizenship so it's hard to get exact demographics.
Electricity
127 or 220V, 60Hz (US, Schuko, Type G plugs)
Country code
966
Internet TLD
.sa
Time Zone
GMT+3
Emergencies
dial 999
Saudi Arabia is a Middle Eastern country that occupies most of the Arabian peninsula and has
coastlines on the Persian Gulf and Red Sea. Neighbouring countries include Jordan to the northwest,
Iraq and Kuwait to the northeast, Bahrain and Qatar to the east, the United Arab Emirates to the
southeast, and Oman and Yemen to the south.
Saudi Arabia contains the holy Muslim cities of Mecca and Medina, to which all physically and
financially able Muslims are required to make a pilgrimage at least once if possible (see Hajj) and
where non-Muslims are forbidden from entering.
Understand[edit]
"I'm telling you, you can't compare Saudi Arabia to other countries." -- Al-Waleed bin Talal
Saudi Arabia is one of two countries named for their royal families, along with the Hashemite
Kingdom of Jordan. The Saudi family were sheikhs of Nejd, the area around Riyadh, but were driven
out by a neighbouring dynasty, hiding with their relatives, the emirs of Kuwait. Then in 1902, young
Abdulaziz Ibn Saud and his army returned to re-capture their home. As it turned out, the invaders
had been corrupt, ineffective, and abusive, so many locals joined them. They not only re-captured
Riyadh, but much of the surrounding territory.

3. After that, Abdulaziz set out on a 30-year campaign of slaughter and intrigue 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 the US was quick to seek to put one
over on the weakened British erstwhile colonilaists. Following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990,
Saudi Arabia offered refuge to the Kuwaiti royal family and 400,000 refugees while allowing
Western and Arab troops to deploy on its sand for the liberation of Kuwait the following year. A
burgeoning population, unemployment, aquifer depletion, and an economy largely dependent on
petroleum output and prices are all major governmental concerns.
Economy[edit]
Saudi Arabia is an oil-based economy with strong government controls over major economic
activities. Saudi Arabia has the second largest reserves of petroleum in the world after
Venezuela(26% of the proven reserves), ranks as one of the largest exporters of petroleum, and
plays a leading role in OPEC. The petroleum sector accounts for roughly 75% of budget revenues,
45% of GDP, and 90% of export earnings. About 25% of GDP comes from the private sector.
Roughly 4 million foreign workers play an important role in the Saudi economy - for example, in the
oil and service sectors.
The government in 1999 announced plans to begin privatizing the electricity companies, which
follows the ongoing privatization of the telecommunications company. The government is expected
to continue calling for private sector growth to lessen the kingdom's dependence on oil and increase
employment opportunities for the swelling Saudi population. Shortages of water and rapid
population growth will constrain government efforts to increase self-sufficiency in agricultural
products.
Unemployment among young Saudis is a serious problem. While part of this can be explained by
Saudi reluctance to take many types of work, it is also true that Saudi citizens are forced to compete
with multitudes of imported labor, which is often much cheaper than that of the locals.
Geography[edit]
Saudi Arabia covers approximately four fifths of the area of the Arabian Peninsula, which can be
described as a rectangular plateau gradually sloping downhill to the east until reaching sea level at
the Persian Gulf.
The main topographical features are:
The Sarawat or Sarat mountain range running parallel to the Red Sea coast beginning near the
Jordanian border until the southern coast of Yemen, gradually increasing in height southwards. It is
largely made up of barren volcanic rock, especially in the south, and sandstone in the north, but it is
also interspersed with ancient lava fields and fertile valleys. As you moves further south towards
Yemen, the barren landscape gradually gives way to green mountains and even woodlands, the
result of being in the range of the monsoons. In Saudi Arabia, the range is commonly known as the
Hejaz, though the southernmost part of the range is known as 'Aseer. In the foothills of the Hejaz
lies the holy city of Mecca, and approximately 400km north of Mecca in an oasis between two large
lava fields lies the other holy city of Medina.

4. West of the Sarawat or Hejaz mountain range is a narrow coastal plain known as Tihama, in which
the country's second largest city, Jidda, is located.
East of the Hejaz lies the elevated plateau known as Najd, a sparsely populated area of desert steppe
dotted with small volcanic mountains. To the east of Najd-proper lies the Tuwaig escarpment, a
narrow platau running 800km from north to south. Its top layer is made of limestone and bottom
layer of sandstone. Historically rich in fresh groundwater and criss-crossed with numerous dry
riverbeds (wadis), the Tuwaig range and its immediate vicinity are dotted with a constellation of
towns and villages. In the middle, nestled between a group of wadis, is the capital city, Ar-Riyadh.
Further east from the Tuwaig plataeu and parallel to it is a narrow (20-100km) corridor of red sand
dunes known as the Dahana desert, which separates the "Central Region" or "Najd" from the
Eastern Province. The heavy presence of iron oxides gives the sand its distinctive red appearance.
The Dahana desert connects two large "seas" of sand dunes. The northern one is known as the
Nufuud, approximately the size of Lake Superior, and the southern is known as "the Empty Quarter,"
so-called because it covers a quarter of the area of the Peninsula. Though essentially uninhabitable,
the edges of these three "seas of sand" make for excellent pastures in the spring season, but even
the bedouin almost never attempted to cross the Empty Quarter.
North of the Nufud desert lies a vast desert steppe, traditionally populated mainly by nomadic
bedouins with the exception of a few oasis such as Al-Jof. This region is an extension of the Iraqi and
Syrian deserts (or vice versa). After a rainy season, these barren, rocky steppes can yield lush
meadows and rich pastures.
The eastern province is largely barren except that it contains two oases resulting from springs of
ancient fossil water. These are the oases of Al-Qateef on the Gulf coast and Al-Hasa (or Al-Ahsa)
further inland. Next to Qatif lies the modern metropolitan area of Dammam, Dhahran and Al-Khobar.
The highest point is Jabal Sawda' at an elevation of 3,133m (10,279 ft). As well as petroleum and
natural gas, natural resources include iron ore, gold and copper.
Climate[edit]
People tend to think of Saudi Arabia as an expanse of scorchingly hot desert punctuated with oil
wells, and for most of the time in most of the country, they would be absolutely right. From May to
September, the country (basically everything except the southwestern mountains) bakes in
temperatures that average 42°C and regularly exceed 50°C in the shade. In July and August, in
particular, all who can flee the country, do so and work slows down to a crawl. The coasts are only
slightly moderated by the sea, which usually keeps temperatures below 38°C -- but at the price of
extreme humidity (85-100%), which many find even more uncomfortable than the dry heat of the
interior, especially at night. Only the elevated mountainous regions stay cool(er), with the summer
resort city of Taif rarely topping 35°C and the mountainous Asir region cooler yet.
In winter, though, it's a surprisingly different story. Daytime highs in Riyadh in December average
only 21°C, and temperatures can easily fall below zero at night, occasionally even resulting in a
sprinkling of snow in the southern mountains. The winter can also bring rains to all or most of the
country, although in many years this is limited to one or two torrential outbursts. The end of spring
(April and May) is also a rainy season for much of the country. In the south, though, this pattern is
reversed, with most rain falling during the Indian Ocean's monsoon season between May and
October.

5. Religion[edit]
Islam is the state religion of Saudi Arabia. Although no law specifically requires Saudi citizens or
passport holders to be Muslim, public observance and proselytism of religions other than Islam are
forbidden under punishment of death.
There are no official churches in Saudi
Arabia of any kind. However, some
Filipino workers report the presence of
churches inside some gated
communities. The small number of Saudi
Arabian Christians meet in Internet chat
rooms, and foreign Christians may meet
at church meetings held at one of
several embassies after registering and
showing their passport, to prove foreign
nationality, or by private assemblies in
school gyms located in gated
communities on Aramco grounds. They
can also hold services in each others houses. Getting caught practising your religion even in private
risks getting raided by the Muttaween and punished with severe penalties.
Prayer times[edit]
Everything in Saudi is regulated by the five daily prayers. All shops and offices close during each
prayer for a period of at least 20-30 minutes, and the religious police patrol the streets and pack
loiterers off to the mosque. However, shopping malls, hospitals and airports do stay open (but with
all shops inside the shopping malls closed) and taxis and other public transport continue to run
normally.
The first prayer is fajr, early in the morning before the first glint of light at dawn, and the call to
prayer for fajr will be your wake-up call in the Kingdom. After fajr, some people eat breakfast and
head to work, with shops opening up.
The second prayer is dhuhr, held after true noon in the middle of the day. The Friday noon prayer
(jummah) is the most important one of the week, when even less observant Muslims usually make
the effort to go to the mosque. After dhuhr, people head for lunch, while many shops choose to stay
closed and snooze away the heat of the day.
Asr prayers are in the late afternoon (1:30-2 hours before sunset), with many shops opening again
afterward. Maghrib prayers are held at sunset and mark the end of the work day in much of the
private sector. The last prayer is isha'a, held around 45 minutes to 1 hour after sunset, after which
locals head for dinner. Expats refer to the time between maghrib and isha'a as the "prayer window",
during which you can hit the supermarket and buy your groceries if you time it right.
Prayer times change daily according to the seasons and your exact location in the Kingdom. You can
find the day's times in any newspaper, and the Ministry of Islamic Affairs maintains a handy online
prayer time service [1].

6. Holidays[edit]
Ramadan dates
28 Jun-27 Jul 2014 (1435 AH)
18 Jun-16 Jul 2015 (1436 AH)
6 Jun-5 July 2016 (1437 AH)
Exact dates depend on local astronomical observations and vary from one country to another.
Ramadan ends with the Eid ul-Fitr festival extendign over several days.
The Saudis do not celebrate Christian holidays like Christmas, New Years, Valentine's Day or
Halloween. Public holidays are granted only for Eid ul-Fitr, the feast at the end of the fasting month
of Ramadan, Eid al-Adha, commemorating Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son, some 70 days
after Ramadan.
There is also one secular holiday: Unification of the Kingdom Day, on 23 September. Strictly
speaking, it's not a public holiday or a festival, but it's treated rather like one anyway.
During Ramadan itself, visitors are required to abide by the restrictions of the fasting month, at least
in public: no eating, drinking or smoking during the daylight hours. Some better hotels will be able
to quietly supply room service during the day, but otherwise you'll have to do your preparations.
Offices and restaurants stay open with limited hours, but the pace of business slows down to a
torpor. After evening prayer, though, all the restaurants in the bazaar open up and do a roaring
trade until the small hours of the morning. Most of the shops are open as well, and the cool of the
evening makes it a pleasant time to shop. A visitor can have a fine time joining in on these evenings,
though having a stash in your hotel room for a quiet breakfast around ten will suit most visitor better
than rising at four for a big pre-dawn Saudi breakfast.
On 29 June 2013, Saudi Arabia changed their official weekend from Thursday and Friday to Friday
and Saturday.
Regions[edit]
Saudi Arabia is administratively divided into 13 provinces (mintaqah), but the traditional divisions of
the country are more useful for making sense of it.
Asir
Southwestern highlands with a temperate climate and rainy weather.
Nejd
The central highlands centered on Riyadh, the home of the Sauds and the most conservative part of
the country.
Riyadh - the capital of the Kingdom

7. Jeddah (Jiddah) - a large metropolitan city on the Red Sea, and the gateway to Makkah and Madinah
Mecca (Mecca) - the holiest city of Islam
Medina (Medina) - the site of the Prophet's Mosque
Abha - a summer tourist mountain resort city in the southwest
Dhahran - the home of Saudi Aramco, the world's largest petroleum company
Jubail - the largest industrial city in the kingdom
Najran - a remarkable fortress
Taif - the moderate size mountain town and popular resort area
Expect significant variations in the English spellings of place names in schedules and even road
signs: Al Wajh and Wedjh are the same place. In particular, Q/G, E/I, and E/A are interchanged freely
(Qassim/Gassim, Mecca/Makkah, Jeddah/Jiddah), H/A sometimes swap places (Al-Ahsa/Al-Hasa) and
the definite article al- can be left on or off (Medina/Almadinah, Riyadh/Arriyadh).
Other destinations[edit]
My Kingdom will survive only insofar as it remains a country difficult to access, where the foreigner
will have no other aim, with his task fulfilled, but to get out. -- King Abdul Aziz bin Saud, c. 1930
Saudi Arabia has some of the most restrictive travel policies in the world, and advance visas are
required for all foreigners desiring to enter. The only significant exception is citizens of the Gulf
Cooperation Council nations. Also exempt from visa requirements are foreigners transiting through
airports for less than eighteen hours, but many other entry requirements, such as the dress code and
restrictions on unaccompanied females, still apply. Nationals of Israel and those with evidence of
visiting Israel will be denied visas, although merely being Jewish in and of itself is not a disqualifying
factor. There are, however, anecdotal reports of would-be visitors who tick the "Jewish" or "Atheist"
boxes on their visa application having trouble. Saudis prefer not to grant visas to unaccompanied
women, but work permits are common in some fields -- esp. nurses, teachers, maids -- and possible
for anyone if your sponsor has enough connections.
Authorized tour operators
The following six companies are very safe, competent and professional tour guides for visitors:
Arabian Treks
Jawlah Tours Company [2]
Altayyar Group [3]
Top Adventure Tours [4]
Samallaghi Tours [5]

8. Al Shitaiwi Tours [6]
Tourist visas, previously available for groups of at least four on guided tours, were "suspended" in
late 2010 permanently. Transit visas are limited to some long-distance truck drivers and for plane
trips, but are generally issued free of charge. However, it is relatively easy to obtain a transit visa to
drive through Saudi if you are legally physically present in an adjacent country and demonstrate the
need to drive through Saudi to another adjacent country. Hajj (pilgrimage) visas are issued by the
Saudi government through Saudi embassies around the world in cooperation with local mosques.
Pilgrims and those on transit visas are prohibited from travelling freely throughout the kingdom, and
during Hajj season getting a visa of any kind tends to be more difficult. Most short-term Western
visitors to Saudi arrive on business visas, which require an invitation from a local sponsor which has
been approved by the Saudi Chamber of Commerce. Once this invitation is secured and certified, the
actual process of issuing the visa is relatively fast and painless, taking anything from one day to
three months. Word has it that the "new visas" (electronically generated) are only available through
agencies within your country of residence. Getting a work visa is considerably more complex, but
usually your employer will handle most of the paperwork.
The fun doesn't end when you get the visa, since visas do not state their exact expiry date. While the
validity is noted in months, these are not Western months but lunar months, and you need to use the
Islamic calendar to figure out the length: a three-month visa issued on "29/02/22" (22 Safar 1429, 1
March 2008) is valid until 29/05/22 (22 Jumada al-Awwal 1429, 28 May 2008), not until 1 June 2008!
Depending on visa type, the validity can start from the date of issue or the date of first entry, and
multiple-entry visas may also have restrictions regarding how many days at a time are allowed
(usually 28 days per visit) and/or how many days total are allowed during the validity period. This all
results in fantastic confusion, and it's not uncommon to get different answers from an embassy, from
your employer and from Immigration! as a result it is common for arrivals to be detained several
hours in airports while entering and exiting.
If you have a work or student visa, exit visas are required to leave the country. (Business, tourism,
transit, or Hajj visas do not require exit permits.) You cannot get an exit visa without a signature
from your employer/sponsor, and there have been cases of people unable to leave because of
controversy with employers or even customers. For example, if a foreign company is sued in Saudi
for non-payment of debts and you are considered its representative, an exit visa may be denied until
the court case is sorted out. Be very careful of such cases as the paperwork regarding such issues
would take months to resolve.
Citizens of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates do not require a visa to
enter Saudi Arabia. And can live, work, and travel freely in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia has very strict rules for what may be imported: alcoholic beverages, pork, non- Sunni
Islamic religious materials and pornography (very widely defined) are all prohibited. Computers,
VCR tapes and DVDs have all been seized from time to time for inspection by the authorities. If you
are unsure if the movie you watch or the video game you play is deemed un-Islamic, it would
probably be best not to bring them with you to the kingdom. In general, though, inspections aren't
quite as thorough as they used to be and while bags are still x-rayed, minute searches are the
exception rather than the rule. Note that western families driving through on a valid transit visa are
generally waved through the customs inspection.
Be very careful with carrying any narcotics, Drug possession is punishable by death. There are many
banned materials by the Saudi government including poppy seeds and nutmeg, consult the embassy
before travelling, and a general rule of thumb is to not carry any products that could get you in

9. trouble!
By plane[edit]
Saudi Arabia has 4 international airports at Riyadh, Jeddah, Madinah ,and Dammam . The airport at
Dhahran is now closed to civil traffic, so passengers to the Eastern Region now fly into Dammam, or
into nearby Bahrain (which is much better connected) and then cross into Saudi Arabia by car.
Saudi Arabia is served by the national airline Saudi Arabian Airlines [7], often referred to by its
Arabic name Saudia. Saudia has a reasonable safety record, but many of their planes are on the old
side and the quality of service, in-flight entertainment, etc tends to be low. Virtually all Gulf airlines
and most major European airlines fly into Saudi.
During the Hajj, numerous charter flights supplement the scheduled airlines.
Foreigners living in Saudi Arabia can often get sensational discounts on outbound flights during the
Hajj. Airlines from Muslim countries are flying in many loads of pilgrims, and do not want to go back
empty.
By bus[edit]
SAPTCO [8] operates cross-border bus services to most of Saudi Arabia's neighbors and even beyond
to e.g. Cairo.
Probably the most popular service is between Dammam/Khobar and Bahrain, operated by the
separate Saudi-Bahraini Transport Company (SABTCO). There are five services daily at a cost of
SAR50/BHD5 and the trip across the King Fahd Causeway takes around two hours on a good day;
see Bahrain for details.
By car[edit]
Automobile crossings exist on nearly all the borders, although those into Iraq are currently closed.
The eastern crossings to Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE are heavily used, all others rather less so.
There is currently no land border crossing with Oman; plans are in place to open the first such
crossing by the end of 2012.
Driving in Saudi Arabia is not regulated and rules are not followed, thus Saudi Arabia has the
highest incidence of car accident fatalities in the world. It is common to find drivers driving against
the traffic on full speed. Drive with extreme caution!
By train[edit]
There are no railroads connecting Saudi Arabia with other countries, although in the North, you can
still find bits and pieces of the Hejaz Railway that once led to Damascus.
By boat[edit]
Infrequent passenger ferries run once a week or less from Egypt and Sudan to ports in western
Saudi Arabia. (The service to Eritrea has stopped running.) Slow, uncomfortable and not particularly
cheap, these are of interest primarily if you absolutely need to take your car across. An unofficial
ban on Western travellers may still apply.

10. Get around[edit]
Internal travel permits are a thing of the past, so once you've gotten into Saudi, the country is your
oyster. There are, however, three exceptions:
Many archaeological sites around the country, eg. Madain Saleh, require permits. The National
Museum in Riyadh issues these free of charge, but you should apply at least a week in advance.
The area around Makkah and Madinah is off-limits to non-Muslims; conversely, those on Hajj visas
are prohibited from leaving the area (and transit points like Jeddah). The exclusion zone is well
signposted.
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[edit]
Saudi Arabia is a large country, which makes flying the only comfortable means of long-distance
travel. State carrier Saudia has the best schedules, with near-hourly flights on the busy Riyadh-
Jeddah sector (90min) and walk-up one-way fares costing a reasonable SAR280 (c. USD80). Low-cost
competitors Nas [9] and Sama [10] 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. However in 2010 Sama was
forced in administration and is no longer in existence.
By bus[edit]
The Saudi Arabian Public Transport
Company (SAPTCO) [11] 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 located several
kilometers away from the city center. The
Riyadh-Dammam service, for example,
costs SAR60 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 center-t-
-city center services, plush seating and a
meal on-board -- all in all, quite good
value, if the sparse schedules match your
plans.
By train[edit]
The railway network in Saudi Arabia is seriously underdeveloped, with only one line running

11. between Riyadh, Al-Hofuf and Dammam, but it's still the only passenger train service in the entire
Gulf (apart from the Dubai Metro). There are plans to extend the network to Jeddah and build a
Makkah-Madinah link during the next few years.
The trains are operated by Saudi Railways Organization and have 3 classes: Second, First and the
delightfully named Rehab. First and Second classes are very similar, with air-con and two-by-two
seating, but First has a few inches of extra legroom. Rehab (VIP) class, on the other hand, has plush
leather seats, roof-mounted flat-panel TVs showing Arabic entertainment, and slick waiting lounges
at stations. There are no reserved seats, so show up early to claim yours, and beware that most
carriages reserve the forward-facing seats at the front of each carriage for families. Trains have a
cafeteria car serving up drinks and snacks, as well as push-trolley service.
A ticket from Riyadh to Dammam costs SAR60/75/120 in Second/First/Rehab. There are four trains
each day in both directions, and the trip takes 4-5 hours. (Note that, as of May 2008, the timetables
on SRO website are outdated.) It is advisable to buy tickets in advance as the trains are often sold
out. You can reserve tickets by calling their service center in Dammam (+966 3 827 4000) and then
pick up the tickets from the nearest railway station 24 hours before departure.
By car[edit]
The legal driving age in Saudi Arabia is 18. Remember, women cannot drive within Saudi Arabia's
border.
Car rental is available and gasoline is some of the cheapest in the world. Highway quality is highly
variable, except highways that connect major cities, which are generally excellent. However, there
are important reasons to think twice about car rental. The country has some of the highest accident
rates in the world. Accidents are common, and if a visitor is involved in one, they would be exposed
to the extremely punitive Saudi legal system; see elsewhere on this page for the warnings about
that.
If you are involved in a car accident all parties are required to stay where they are and wait for the
Traffic Police (call 993) to turn up, which can take up to four hours. English is unlikely to be spoken
by the police, even in big cities, so try to use the waiting time to arrange a translator. The police will
issue an accident report, which you have to take to the traffic police station and get it stamped a few
times in different queues (this takes most of a morning). Only then can any damage to the car be
repaired, as insurance companies will not pay for any body work without this report.
It is not uncommon for the traffic police to resolve the incident there and then by determining the
guilty party and deciding compensation. So, should it be your fault the Police will ask you to pay an
amount to the other party - but you are not obligated to do so.
At the present time, access to car rentals is limited to males 21 and older. Women cannot drive on
public roads or ride bicycles.
By taxi[edit]
Within cities, taxis are the only practical means of transportation, which carries some safety risks for
women. Metered fares (only in Riyadh) start at SAR5 and tick up at SAR1.60/km, but in other cities
you'll often have to haggle the price in advance. Solo passengers are expected to sit up front next to
the driver: this has the advantages of being next to the full blast of the air-con and making it easier
to wave your hands to show the way. Be careful of unregistered cars claiming to be taxis. If possible,

12. always ride with a friend who knows the country. There are no street addresses in Saudi Arabia, so
you will have to know your route well, and pay attention to the road to explain to the driver where to
turn.
Arabic is the official language of the Kingdom. There are numerous dialects spoken around the
country, but the most important are Hejazi Arabic, originating from the Hejaz around Jeddah and the
effective lingua franca, and Najdi Arabic, spoken in the Nejd around Riyadh.
Many people understand some English, although markedly less well than in, say, the UAE. Hindi,
Urdu, and Bengali are extensively used in the marketplaces and by sub-continent expatriates. All
major languages are spoken in the markets of Makkah. There is a significant Tagalog-speaking
expatriate minority as well.
Nearly all road signs are in English as well as Arabic, although the vast majority of speed limit signs
use only East Arabic numerals.
The Saudi currency is the Saudi riyal (????, SAR), which has traded at a fixed 3.7450 to the US dollar
since 1986. The riyal is divided into 100 halalas, which are used to mark some prices, but, in
practice, all payments are rounded to the nearest riyal and odds are you probably will never see any
halala coins. Bills come in values of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, and 500 riyals, with two series in
circulation.
The riyal is also pegged to the Bahraini dinar at a 10:1 ratio. If you are considering travelling to
Bahrain, virtually all businesses in Bahrain will accept riyals, but the dinar is not as easily
convertible in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia is still largely a cash society, but credit card and debit cards acceptance is surprisingly
good everywhere. ATMs are ubiquitous especially in gas stations and malls, all banks accept foreign
cards, the largest bank in the country in the National Commercial Bank. Moneychangers can be
found in souks, but are rare elsewhere. Foreign currencies are not accepted by merchants.
Costs[edit]
Prices are generally fairly expensive: figure on USD50/100/200 for budget, midrange and splurge-
level daily travel costs.
Tipping is generally not expected, although service staff are always happy to receive them and taxi
fares are often rounded up (or, not uncommonly, down). Restaurants are now legally not allowed to
include the 15% service charge on bills, it is considered illegal, and if found, politely ask them to
remove it, it is a serious offence and the restaurant staff will quickly comply. The bill must state 0%
service charge, and a tip is commonly respectfully given as 10% of the value of the bill, depending of
course of the quality of service. Make sure to revise your bill before paying as sometime (like other
places in the middle east) they would include an extra dish for extra charge. (Smoking is banned
indoors throughout the country, see Eat section of this article) There are no sales taxes in Saudi, and
for that matter, there aren't any income taxes either!
What to buy[edit]
Few local products are of interest to tourists. Locally grown dates are of high quality, and religious
paraphernalia is widely available, but almost exclusively imported. Copies of the Qur'an are
produced in a wide range of editions and sold at very low prices. Zam zam water is available

13. throughout the Western Region and at all airports.
Carpets are a favourite purchase, most of these coming from nearby Iran. Jeddah in particular has
lots of carpets, many brought by pilgrims who sell them there to help finance their trip to Makkah.
Large gold and jewellery markets are prominent in all major cities, especially in Jeddah, Makkah and
Madinah. Gold prices are cheap in Saudi Arabia, and bargaining is a norm in most small to medium
sized stores. Jeddah, Makkah and Madinah offer a lot of trading and variety in terms of luggage,
clothing, jewellery, knick-knacks, souvenirs, toys, food, perfume, incense, and religious literature,
audio, and paraphernalia. The Jeddah old town (Al-Balad) is internationally well known for its
authentic, bazaar style, arabic souk atmosphere, along with the Hijazi old building architecture.
There you will find a lot of local and international products, from jewellery, perfume and incense to
cloths, toys and food. Along with with many international people and cultures mixing, which gives
you a sense of belonging to the world and a real feel to business and product trading. Although to a
new visitor the place might look unsafe, Jeddah's Al-Balad is very safe, with police cars and officers
patrolling the street and standing in every corner.
Large, well maintained air-conditioned malls and grocery stores (i.e. Al-Danub, Geant, Carrefour) are
scattered throughout the kingdom.
Entertainment in Saudi Arabia is limited at best, and when present is often family-oriented. This
rules out men travelling without a family, as they are not allowed in family areas of establishments.
This could mean not entering a particular part of a mall, restaurant or other establishment, or in
some cases not entering entire buildings. Watch for the occasionally small signs by building
entrances and hanging above restaurant counters that read "family only." Even at fast food
establishments there will typically be separate lines for single men.
By law in Riyadh and other places in Saudi, women must be accompanied by a male relative
guardians in public, whether foreign or local, failing to do so may result in harassment by locals
and/or arrest by the Islamic Police. This rule does not apply to the city of Jeddah, and many women
are seen alone, or in groups of ladies, in public without any problems from locals or officials.
Desert excursions are particularly popular with the locals, but are extremely dangerous for
foreigners, and especially women, due to the ultra conservative culture of armed Bedouins.
Scuba diving is popular on Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast. Jeddah has a number of dive operators. But
extreme caution needs to be applies since very few hospitals are equipped to deal with Scuba diving
related injuries and decompression sickness. Hospitals are not accessible to foreigners even during
emergency situations and possession of health insurance. Beaches in Jeddah are well known for their
diving related death incidences. The Red Sea, as beautiful as it is, is full of poisonous fish and corals,
thorough study of the local marine life is strongly encouraged, and the basic rule of thumb "touch
nothing" is strongly advisable. Diving outside city limits is prohibited by law and can risk
imprisonment in charges related to drug trafficking, which can lead to lengthy imprisonment until
the paperwork is completed.
Amusement parks (many of them indoor) are often found near malls or beaches. Many large cities
have public parks and small zoos. Horseback riding, camel riding, etc. are also available at horse-
racing tracks and some popular beaches. Many upscale hotels provide light activities (especially
hotels located along the beaches). These activities are restricted to families only.
Movie theatres are banned in the Kingdom, but DVD shops abound, although the selections are often

14. tame and/or censored. DVDs in Saudi Arabia are invariably Region 2, though bootleg DVDs (which
are widely available in smaller video shops) are usually region-free, and often uncensored as well.
Satellite TV and downloading entertainment from the Internet is thus very popular.
Video games are an eternal obsession of Saudi youth, and one which is capitalized upon rather well
by local retailers. Video game shops are ubiquitous in all of the major cities. Authentic games are
offered by most of the larger stores, as US or European imports for an average of c. SAR270 (c.
USD$70), while the smaller ones usually only offer bootlegs (which are illegal, but still lucrative
enough that almost all sell them) at very low prices of SAR10-15 (USD2.50-4). Wii and Xbox 360
bootlegs reign supreme, but certain stores offer Nintendo DS and PSP games as well, downloaded to
a customer's removable media on request.
Like all other businesses in Saudi, restaurants are supposed to close during prayer hours, which
they usually dim off the lights and refuse service. Jeddah is well-known for its restaurants and cafes
which can be found in every corner of every street. While Riyadh restricts its cafes to malls or
outside the city. Smoking is banned indoors throughout the country's major cities, this law is very
strict and restaurant owners will take it seriously as it risks closing their business. Smoking is
allowed in the city in open areas only, which have very pleasant cold winds in winter evenings, but
hot humid air (in Jeddah) in summer evenings. Indoor smoking is only allowed outside major cities.
Fast food[edit]
Fast food is a huge business in Saudi Arabia, with all the usual suspects (McDonalds, Burger King,
Pizza Hut, Subway) and a few chains that rarely venture outside America elsewhere (e.g.
Hardee's/Carl's Jr., Little Caesars). Meals invariably served with fries and Coke cost SR10-20. Some
local imitators worth checking out include:
Al-Baik - fried chicken- in Jeddah, Makkah and Madinah, but not Riyadh
Kudu[12] - Saudi sandwich chain
Cheaper yet are the countless curry shops run by and for Saudi Arabia's large
Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi community, which serve up large thali platters of subcontinental fare
for under SAR10. Just don't expect frills like air-conditioning. Fast food is certified halal in Saudi
Arabia. Pork will NOT be served in Saudi Arabia, as pork is forbidden in Islam. Caution needs to be
applied when eating in such restaurants since they do not follow western health and safety
standards.
Local cuisine[edit]
The national Saudi Arabian dish is the Kabsa (orange/red coloured rice with lamb or chicken with
strong essence and spices, but not chilli) it is similar to the Indian Briyani but not quite the same.
The Middle Eastern staple of shwarma (doner kebab) is widely available in dedicated little joints,
with SAR3-4 being the standard price for a sandwich. The Egyptian mashed fava bean stew foul is
another cheap staple, and these shops usually also offer felafel (chickpea balls) and a range of salads
and dips like hummus (chickpea paste) and tabbouleh (parsley salad).
Finding restaurants that serve actual Saudi cuisine is surprisingly very difficult, although many
larger hotels have Arabic restaurants, they are usually of lower quality. Your local Saudi or
expatriate host may be able to show you some places or if you're really lucky, an invitation to dinner

15. at home.
Mandi -- Chicken or mutton cooked with rice in a pot suspended above a fire.
With alcohol, nightclubs, cinemas, theatres, playing music in public and mingling with unrelated
people of the opposite sex all banned by law, it's fair to say that nobody comes to Saudi Arabia for
the nightlife.
Coffee shops[edit]
Pretty much the only form of entertainment for bachelors is the ubiquitous coffee shop, which serve
not only coffee and tea, but also snacks. These are strictly a male domain in some cities like Riyadh,
while they are very family oriented in Jeddah and surrounding cities.
If, on the other hand, you're looking for a hazelnut frappucino, Starbucks and its legion competitors
have established a firm foothold in the Kingdom's malls.
As for the coffee (qahwa) there are two types:
Turkish "black" coffee prepared in the traditional middle eastern way, served in a very small cup
called "finjan" usually served with, or without, sugar.
The other type which is strictly found only in Saudi Arabia is the Arabic "white" coffee, sometimes
referred to as Saudi coffee. Spiced with cardamom (usually), but can contain saffron, cinnamon or
ginger, this coffee is made with beans which have been very lightly roasted in contrast to Turkish or
Western coffees. Saudi coffee can be an acquired taste, but is certainly worth trying. It drinks
especially well with dates; the strong cleansing taste of the coffee matches well with sweet dates. As
with Turkish coffee, it is served in very small cups called fingans. Arabic coffee never contains sugar.
The etiquette is to wiggle the little cup when you are done with the coffee to have it taken. If you
finish your coffee and do not wiggle the cup, your cup will be refilled as a matter of course!
"Red" Tea (chai), is normal tea, which usually comes with dollops of sugar and perhaps a few mint
leaves (na'ana). Green tea is normal herbal tea. All served in tiny cups. Arabs are well known to
include sugar in their tea and coffee.
Alcohol[edit]
Alcoholic beverages are strictly forbidden throughout the country by law, although the police
generally turn a blind eye to goings-on inside compounds for foreign expats, where homebrew wine
is common. However, if they catch people involved in smuggling or distilling booze in quantity, then
expat or not, Saudi law applies. A foreigner may not get the sentence a local would, but can expect a
few months in jail, public flogging and whipping, followed by deportation.
There is a local white lightning known among foreigners as "siddiqui" (Arabic for friend) or just as
"sid". This is generally horrible-tasting and very potent. In addition to the obvious legal risk, there is
a risk of inexpert distilling making it downright poisonous. The stuff is emphatically to be avoided.
Do not drink and drive! is good advice anywhere, but especially in Saudi Arabia. If you have an
accident, or otherwise attract police attention, the consequences might be serious indeed.
Soft drinks[edit]

16. As elsewhere in the Gulf, Saudis are big fans of various fruit juices, ranging from the ordinary
(apple, orange) to the downright bizarre (banana-lemon-milk-walnut, anyone?).
Non-alcoholic versions of alcoholic drinks are popular. Two of the most common are Saudi
champagne, basically apple juice and Sprite or soda water, and malt beverages, ie. non-alcoholic
beer, always sweet and often strongly flavored with mango, strawberry, apple, lemon etc essences.
You can even get apple-flavored Budweiser!
Tap water[edit]
Tap water throughout the country is NOT safe to drink, in the summer tap water can be very hot.
Bottled water is readily available and cheap at SAR2 or less for a 1.5L bottle, so many visitors and
residents choose to play it safe. Many residents prefer to buy drinking water from purification
stations.
Hotels of all types are available throughout the Kingdom. Most tourist cities (i.e. Jeddah, Makkah,
Madinah, Taif, Al Abha) will also have very affordable and spacious shigka-maafroosha (short-term
furnished rental apartments). Shigka-maafroosha owners generally loiter in hotel lobbies. Often,
they will approach civilized-looking people and make an offer. Prices for shigka-mafrooshas and
small hotels are always negotiable to a great degree. Smaller hotels will only accept cash, normally
in advance.
Larger, more expensive hotels are abundant in all major cities, you can expect to pay north of
US$200 for a weekday night at a good hotel in any of the big Saudi cities. In exchange, you usually
get excellent service and the ability to work around some restrictions (eg. restaurants that stay open
through prayer hours and daytime room service during Ramadan).
Stay healthy[edit]
There are major health risks for travelling in Saudi Arabia: tap water is NOT drinkable but food is
usually, but not always, hygienic. Hepatitis and Meningitis vaccinations are required for general
travel to the Kingdom. For pilgrims joining the Hajj and its extraordinary concentrations of pilgrims
from all corners of the globe, a comprehensive series of vaccinations is required as a condition for
entry. See the Hajj article for details. Malaria, Dengue fever and the new SARS-like Coronavirus
(Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome - Coronavirus "MERS-CoV") are major concerns when
travelling to Saudi Arabia and all can potentially cause death if acquired. Stay Healthy.
Smoking there are a lot of smokers in Saudi Arabia due to bad law management historically. But now
smoking is banned from being sold to people under age, and banned in indoor areas inside all major
cities. This is a very strict law since it caries a risk of immediate business termination by the
government, therefore business owners will strongly stop indoor smoking.
The Kingdom has a wide-reaching national healthcare system, it is still considered one of the best in
the Middle East in terms of diagnostic and technological advancement and quality of medical care.
The services provided by this program are excellent and up to western standard, but with the
disadvantages of very long queues, unregulated doctors, and restrictions to foreigners. Private
hospitals are often run with the participation of foreign partners. These facilities are mostly very
advanced and can be very expensive. Pharmacies are widely available and prescriptions are not
required for most medications. Psychoactive medications are tightly controlled and available only
through government pharmacies.

17. Bottled water is easily available, and yes, it actually is more expensive than gasoline.
There are quite a few jobs for expatriates in Saudi Arabia. While the pay is good, foreigners often
find that the strictly conservative society, and the near-total lack of employees' rights, makes the
country a very difficult place to work and live.
To get a working visa, you must have a Saudi sponsor. Then to leave, you must get an exit visa,
which requires that approval and signature of you sponsor. This can lead to major problems, with
many foreigners and their families unable to leave the country. ESL teachers can find work in Saudi
Arabia with a Bachelor`s Degree and a TESOL certification. ESL teachers in Saudi Arabia can expect
to earn SAR8,000-13,000 (monthly) and will usually teach 20 - 30 hours in a week. Contracts will
usually include accommodations and airfare. Preference is usually given to male teachers, since
female teachers needed the company of their husbands until recently and a signed approval to work.
Previous ESL work experience may be required.
Stay safe[edit]
One of the biggest dangers a visitor to Saudi Arabia faces is the Fahateen (bad drivers) (see Getting
around - By car) -- drive or pick your drivers carefully and buckle up your seatbelt.
A low-level insurgency which targets foreigners in general and Westerners in particular continues to
exist, although there hasn't been a major attack since 2007. The wave of violence in 2003-2004 has
been squashed by a brutal crackdown by Saudi security forces and there have been no major attacks
in the cities for several years, security remains tight. Foreigners might want to register their
presence with their embassy or consulate. Emergency alert systems using e-mail and cell phone
messages are maintained by many governments for their guest workers.
Four French tourists, part of a larger group that had been camping in the desert, were shot and
killed by terrorists near Madain Saleh in early 2007. Due to this, optional police escorts -- which can
be an interesting experience, are sometimes provided for western tourists travelling outside major
cities, in areas like Abha, Najran and Madain Saleh. These can be easily arranged through local
tourist agents and are not very expensive. Police escorts are trained to be very polite with
foreigners, but don't always speak fluent English.
While Saudi Arabia actually has one of the lowest crime rates in the world due to regular police
presence in public, a certain very small background level of non-violent opportunistic theft like pick-
pocketing and purse snatching does exist like any other part of the world.
Police in Saudi Arabia are divided into three authorities: Traffic Police (coloured green), General
Police (coloured blue), and Special Safety Police (coloured brown). General Police and Special Safety
Police are not corrupt and are trained to be friendly and respectful with everyone, they are also very
strict in enforcing laws. Traffic Police are generally considered corrupt and lazy. As a result, within
the police culture they are considered the lowest level.
Saudi society endeavours to keep men and women separate, yet sexual harassment -- leers, jeers and
even being followed -- is depressingly very common. Unaccompanied women are at a very high risk
of kidnapping and sexual harassment by locals and officials.
LGBT visitors[edit]
Sharia law can bring a visitor into contact with the local police and justice systems. The Saudi justice

18. system (sharia) is notoriously very harsh, and gives no leeway to non-Saudis, and embassies can
provide only limited help in these situations. See Respect for how to stay out of trouble.
Saudi Arabia is a monarchy and is headed by the al-Saud dynasty, which is largely respected.
Voicing any criticism of the ruling monarchy is frowned upon in Saudi society and may warrant
imprisonment. Also, due to the ongoing Israeli-Arab conflict it would be unwise to say anything
which could be deemed to be provocative as this is a very sensitive issue.
Prostitution is illegal in Saudi Arabia, as it follows the Islamic law, and punishments are very severe.
Compounds[edit]
Compounds (officially called residential camps) are gated communities within a city or town
designed and designated for expats (specifically westerners). Most are owned by either the Saudi oil
giant, Saudi Aramco or the US security giant, Vinnell. Only foreigners are allowed to live in them.
Any expat wishing to visit or live in a compound will immediately notice the difference in social
norms and freedoms. While inside compounds, women are allowed to mingle with unrelated men,
they aren't required to wear the abaya, they can dress in typical western clothing without wearing a
dark cloak. Inside compounds, all public places (including movie theaters, restaurants, pools, and
international schools) aren't segregated. Alcohol is still banned, however many expats home brew
their own, and police usually turn a blind eye to this.
Security in all compounds is different than outside them, the regular and religious police are non-
existent, and the Saudi National Guard patrols inside and around the outside of the compounds.
Anyone, foreigner or not, who wishes to enter or exit a compound must have ID with them, as well as
be prepared to have car and possessions inspected. Anyone who lives in the particular compound
doesn't go through the checks versus those who don't live in the compound. Sneaking into a
compound isn't the best idea to do, all compounds are walled in and surrounded by barbed wire and
security cameras on the outside of them. The Saudi military acts as the official police of the
compounds, they are heavily armed with automated rifles and machine guns and are ordered to
shoot anyone attempting to illegally enter a compound.
However, living within compounds is expensive compared to living off them. With prices ranging
from SAR100,000 to 200,000 or more for a three bedroom villa.
Respect[edit]
Visitors to Saudi Arabia are required to respect local conventions, in particular regarding culture.
Saudi law is reserved for offenders of Sharia Law and true criminals like drug smugglers. With a
modicum of common sense you'll be just fine, and should a visitor accidentally cause some minor
offense, the reaction will generally be amusement rather than anger. But still be reserved.
Law and morality[edit]
The really important rules to beware of are enshrined in written Saudi law, with criminals subject to
the full strength of the Saudi penal system. In addition to obvious crimes like murder (punishable by
beheading) and theft (amputation of the hand for repeat offenders), acts considered serious crimes
include mixing of unrelated people of the opposite sex, adultery, homosexual activity, and possession
of alcohol or drugs.
In practice, though, most visitors will be primarily concerned with the code of morality, involving

19. things like women not covering up properly, and not accompanied by a male guardian, not observing
prayer or (during Ramadan) fasting times, etc. These rules are enforced by the infamous muttawa
(pl. mutawain), the zealous volunteers of the religious police known as the Committee for the
Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice. Confusingly, the exact rules and their enforcement
vary greatly both with time and from region to region, with the Nejd region around Riyadh being the
most strict, the Eastern Province being moderate, and the Hejaz around Jeddah being the least
strict. Some of the time, encounters with the muttawa (especially for non-Muslims) simply results in
harsh verbal warnings, but occasionally they may undertake public whipping. The muttawa do have
the power to detain those suspected of un-Islamic conduct, but -- in theory -- must hand them over to
the police before interrogation, a law that is sometimes not followed. Reports of human rights
abuses and even deaths in muttawa custody are still common.
Areas Off-limits to the Mutawwas[edit]
Certain areas are known to be "off-limits" to the mutawwas. These include the following:
The Diplomatic Quarter (in Riyadh)
The beach resort compounds north of Jeddah
The premises of Saudi Aramco (in the eastern province)
Sex segregation[edit]
Most areas of life in Saudi Arabia are segregated by sex to ensure that unrelated men and women
have no possibility of "mingling" (khulwa, a punishable crime). Under the rules of segregation, all
people are divided into three groups:
Families. The basic unit of Saudi life, families consist of women accompanied by their mahrams
(legal male guardians) -- father, brother, husband, uncle, nephew -- and children.
Single men (bachelors). Men not accompanied by their families. Despite common use of the word
"bachelor", it is irrelevant whether the man is married or not; a husband will dine in the bachelor
section at lunch when alone and in the family section at dinner when with his wife. It is against the
law to be accompanied anywhere by a woman who is not your wife or a registered family member,
and religious police pay particular attention to interracial couples.
Single women. Women not accompanied by their male guardian. Most of the facilities for families in
Jeddah (but not in Riyadh nor the rest of Saudi Arabia) will admit single women. It is against the law
to be accompanied anywhere by a man who is not your registered male guardian. The punishment
will be worse for the man than for the woman. While the man is forced to sign a written oath not to
repeat the offence and may be subject to lashing or imprisonment, women are generally "returned"
to their families, with her male guardian having to go through the offence on her behalf.
Typical examples of segregation include:
Government Establishments
Usually there is a women's section.
Banks

20. Separate branches for men and women.
Coffeeshops
Mostly men only (in Riyadh), nearly all coffee shops in Jeddah have family sections.
Restaurants
Separate sections for families and men. The vast majority will allow single women into the family
section (especially in Jeddah).
Men[edit]
Locals almost universally wear a thoub (white robe with sleeves) with a ghutra or shimag
(headdress), but the standard dress code for foreign men in Saudi Arabia is long trousers and a long-
sleeved shirt although T-shirts are increasingly common. Shorts are an uncommon sight outside the
gym or beach but in most cases it won't get you in trouble nowadays.
Contrary to rumours, men with long hair do not need to cut it before entering the kingdom.
Shoulder-length locks are common and many men have long hair in Saudi Arabia. Beduins, which
constitute the majority of the population, are well known culturally not to cut their hair, which is
usually hidden under the headdress. But some men might get verbal advice from the muttaween if
the man's hair is tied, and will usually ask him to untie it, as it is considered feminine to tie hair.
Women[edit]
Women, be they local or foreign, are all required to wear an abaya, a long and loose black robe.
While a headscarf is optional for non-Saudi females (particularly in Jeddah), one should at least be
brought along in order to avoid possible harassment from locals and the religious police or to be
used as a means of deflecting attention from potentially aggravating men.
Saudi law prohibits women from mingling with unrelated men. Some family restaurants will go
further and will not allow a married couple to dine together with a single man. Women may not drive
cars. Women may not even be driven by unrelated men (e.g. taxi drivers).
A woman may not travel alone. They may not stay alone in hotels, hotels will require the presence of
a male guardian.
While all this legally applies to foreign women as well, in practice foreign women are not restrained
by their families in the way that Saudi women are, and can have considerable leeway if they choose
to take it. For example, a foreign woman and her boyfriend (or even male coworker) can simply
claim to be husband and wife, and thus mingle freely -- although, if caught doing so, they will be
subject to a stay in jail.
A single woman accosted by the police or the muttawa and requested to come with them does not
have to (and, for their own safety, should not) go with them alone: you have the right to call your
male guardian and have him arrive. However, you may be required to surrender your ID, and you
may not leave until the police/muttawa allows you to.
Other[edit]

21. Photography is probably the easiest way for a visitor to inadvertently get into trouble. Do NOT take
pictures of any government-related building (ministries, airports, military facilities etc) or any
building that could possibly be one, or you risk being hauled off to jail for espionage, or accused of
terrorist plotting. Do not photograph any Saudi men without permission and do NOT even point your
camera in the general direction of women, period. Even government publications avoid pictures of
people and often resort to mosaicing out faces if there have to use one!
Playing music in public is also prohibited. However, personal music players and listening to music in
private is fine, and there are plenty of music shops in the country's shopping malls if you don't mind
permanent marker over Britney's hemline on the cover. It is not uncommon to hear young Saudis
blasting the latest hip-hop music in their vehicles, at least when the muttawa are not around.
Religious items for religions other than Islam, including Bibles, crucifixes and any religious
literature, are forbidden. Anything that hints of proselytism is treated very harshly, and the muttawa
often bust illicit church assemblies and the like. Public observance of religions other than Islam is a
crime in Saudi Arabia.
Contact[edit]
By phone[edit]
Useful numbers
Police: 999
Car Accidents: 993
Ambulance: 997
Fire: 998
Phone Directory (Fees Apply): 905
The three mobile operators in Saudi, incumbent STC, Emirati rival Mobily [13] and Kuwaiti
newcomer Zain [14] (Vodafone Network) are fiercely competitive, with good coverage (in populated
areas) and good pricing. A starter pack with prepaid SIM and talktime starts from about SAR30, and
you can sign up in most any larger mobile shop (bring your passport). Local calls are under
SAR0.5/minute, while calls overseas are around or less than SAR2/min.
And yes, you can bring in your own phone: despite grumblings from the clerics, both camera phones
and multimedia messaging (MMS) are now legal.
By net[edit]
Internet cafes abound in major Saudi cities, and many shopping malls feature a gaming parlor or
two. Rates are around SAR5/hour.
While Internet in Saudi Arabia is cordoned off by a filter, it aims primarily at pornography, non-
Islamic religious and domestic political sites in Arabic, illegal gambling, criticisms against their
religion and government and (from the traveller's point of view) is nowhere near as strict as, say,
China's. Google, Skype, Wikipedia and all major webmail providers, etc, are all accessible.

22. Internet censorship in Saudi Arabia might not be as strict as other countries in the Middle East. This
is because social sites such as Facebook and Twitter are not banned in the country. Although Skype
is also allowed, the Saudi government has banned the smartphone app Viber.
By mail[edit]
Saudi Post has a good network of post offices around the country, but offices are closed Friday and
Saturday. Stamps for postcards to anywhere in the world cost SAR4. The bigger problem is actually
finding postcards, as the mutawwa periodically crack down on the celebration of non-Islamic
holidays like Valentine's Day, Christmas or even birthdays, causing all cards of any sort to disappear
from book stores! Your best bet is thus gift shops in major hotels. Mail coming in to the country from
overseas is notoriously unreliable. Stories abound of thing arriving months after they were sent or
never arriving at all. There are branches of DHL, FedEx and UPS operating throughout the kingdom
so a good rule of thumb is to have anything important sent through those channels.
http://wikitravel.org/en/Saudi_Arabia