Saudi Arabia (SA)
Saudi Arabia is the largest country in the Middle East and the world's leading oil producer — a rapidly transforming absolute monarchy embarking on an ambitious Vision 2030 diversification agenda that has already delivered entertainment venues, mixed-gender events, a booming tourism sector, and the Riyadh Metro.
Country Profile
Everything you need to know before you arrive.
Saudi Arabia is the largest country in the Middle East and the world's leading oil producer — a rapidly transforming absolute monarchy embarking on an ambitious Vision 2030 diversification agenda that has already delivered entertainment venues, mixed-gender events, a booming tourism sector, and the Riyadh Metro. With zero personal income tax, high salaries in the energy and tech sectors, and a cost of living lower than many Western cities, Saudi Arabia attracts hundreds of thousands of professional expats annually. Nearly 13 million expats — representing over a third of the population — work in everything from oil and gas to healthcare, construction, education, and the new giga-projects like NEOM and the Red Sea Project.
Climate
March–May: 20–35°C. Warm and increasingly hot. Occasional sandstorms (shamals). Best time to be outdoors.
June–September: 38–50°C in Riyadh and central regions. Jeddah is humid. Extremely dangerous to be outdoors midday. Air conditioning is essential. Outdoor work banned 12:00–15:00 June–September.
October–November: 25–35°C. Cooling begins. Pleasant evenings. Popular time for outdoor activities.
December–February: 8–20°C in Riyadh (can drop to 2°C at night). Cooler in mountains (Abha can see frost). Jeddah is mild at 20–28°C. Perfect outdoor weather.
Demographics
Religion
Social Culture & Etiquette
Greet with "As-salamu alaykum" (peace be upon you) — reply with "Wa alaykum as-salam". Handshakes between men are standard; wait for a Saudi woman to extend her hand first to a man. Saudi men may greet close friends with a nose touch (khashm). Business cards are exchanged with both hands or the right hand.
Meeting times are flexible in Saudi culture — arriving 15–30 minutes late is common and accepted. However, expat business contexts increasingly expect punctuality. Always confirm meetings by WhatsApp the day before.
Men: long trousers and collared shirts in professional settings; shorts are acceptable in residential compounds and gyms. Women: abaya is no longer legally mandatory (regulation changed 2019) but modest, loose-fitting clothing covering shoulders and knees is expected in public. Revealing clothing remains culturally inappropriate and can cause confrontation.
- ✕ Never consume, possess, or be under the influence of alcohol — zero tolerance, criminal prosecution.
- ✕ Never consume pork or bring pork products into the country.
- ✕ Do not display affection in public (kissing, hugging between unmarried couples).
- ✕ Do not photograph government buildings, military installations, palaces, or people without consent.
- ✕ Never criticise the Saudi government, royal family, or Islam in any form — severe criminal penalties including imprisonment.
- ✕ Do not eat, drink, or smoke in public during Ramadan daytime hours — fines and detention possible for non-Muslims too.
- ✕ Same-sex relationships are criminal — do not display or discuss.
- ✕ Left hand is considered unclean — use right hand for greetings, receiving, and eating.
- ✓ Accept dates and qahwa when offered — refusing is considered impolite.
- ✓ Remove shoes when entering a Saudi home (usually).
- ✓ Expect prayer breaks during meetings and appointments — five daily prayers are observed.
- ✓ Business is conducted on personal relationships (wasta) — building trust takes time.
- ✓ Friday and Saturday are the weekend — Sunday is the first working day for most businesses.
- ✓ Saudi men and women may use separate entrances in some traditional venues and government offices.
🍽️ Traditional Food & Drink
Saudi Arabia's national dish — slow-cooked lamb or chicken on fragrant basmati rice with spices, raisins, and nuts. Found at every Saudi home and traditional restaurant.
Slow-roasted meat (lamb or chicken) in a tandoor pit oven over basmati rice with aromatic spices. A Yemeni-origin staple deeply embedded in Saudi culture.
Stuffed savoury pancake with meat or egg filling, popular as street food in Jeddah's Al-Balad district.
Ground wheat and meat slow-cooked to a porridge consistency. Traditional Ramadan and Eid dish.
White rice cooked in broth and milk, served with roasted chicken. A Hijaz (Mecca/Medina region) specialty.
Saudi Arabia produces 400+ varieties of dates. Medjool, Ajwa (from Madinah, considered sacred), and Safawi are premium varieties. Dates and Arabic coffee (qahwa) are the traditional welcome.
Lightly roasted coffee with cardamom and saffron, served in small handleless cups (finjan). Offered as a sign of hospitality. Always accept the first cup.
Sweet black tea with fresh mint. The social beverage for informal gatherings and souq visits.
Cultured buttermilk drink, widely available in flavoured varieties. Popular with meals. Alcohol is completely prohibited — no hotel bars, no licensed venues.
📍 Tourist Highlights
UNESCO-listed ancient Nabataean city with sandstone tombs, rock formations, and the Hegra archaeological site. Saudi Arabia's crown tourism jewel — Winter at Tantora festival draws international visitors.
Dramatic 300-metre escarpment overlooking the Tuwaiq plateau, a favourite day trip from Riyadh.
UNESCO World Heritage Site — the original home of the first Saudi state, now a major heritage and tourism destination after extensive restoration.
World-class diving and snorkelling at Tabuk's pristine Red Sea reefs. NEOM megaproject is transforming the northwest coast with luxury tourism developments.
Highland city with moderate climate, traditional terraced villages, colourful markets, and the Asir National Park cable car. Feels completely different from the Gulf coast.
📖 Brief History
The Arabian Peninsula was home to ancient civilisations along trade routes linking the Mediterranean to Asia. In 1744 Muhammad ibn Saud and religious scholar Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab formed the First Saudi State, a political-religious alliance that persists to this day. After the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, Abdulaziz ibn Saud unified the modern kingdom in 1932. The discovery of oil in 1938 transformed Saudi Arabia from a desert kingdom into a global power. The country was a founding member of OPEC (1960) and has used oil wealth to build modern infrastructure. Since 2015, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) has driven Vision 2030, a sweeping modernisation programme diversifying the economy, opening entertainment, and advancing women's rights including the right to drive (2018).