Saudi Arabia

Government advisories

• ☐ United States: level 3/4 — Level 3: Reconsider Travel
• ☐ United Kingdom: level 2/4
• ☐ Canada: level 3/4 — Avoid non-essential travel (with regional advisories)

Health notices

• ☐ Global Measles (level 1)

Entry requirements

☐ Visitors to Saudi Arabia must obtain a visa, unless they come from one of the visa exempt countries.

☐ Passport valid 6+ months beyond your stay

Practical

• ☐ Plug type G, 230V — bring an adapter if yours differs
• ☐ Drives on the right
• ☐ Emergency (police): 911
• ☐ Emergency (ambulance): 911
• ☐ Emergency (fire): 911
• ☐ SIM: The four mobile operators in Saudi Arabia, incumbent Al Jawal, Emirati rival Mobily, Kuwaiti Zain (Vodafone Network) and STC newcomer Jawwy are fiercely competitive, with good coverage (in populated areas) and good prices. A starter pack with prepaid SIM and talktime starts from about SR75, and you can sign up in most any larger mobile shop (bring your passport). Local calls are under SR0.5/minute
• ☐ Money: The Saudi currency is the Saudi riyal, denoted by the symbol "ريال" or "SR" (ISO code: SAR). It is fixed at 3.75 riyals to the US dollar. 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 riya

Laws that could get a tourist arrested

• ☐ Drug offenses — Trafficking, manufacturing, possessing, importing, or exporting drugs carries the death penalty. You can be charged if drugs are planted in your bags, so remain vigilant of your surroundings.
• ☐ Indecent conduct — Indecent clothing and mingling between unrelated men and women are criminal offenses.
• ☐ LGBT and transgender status — Homosexuality is a crime punishable by death by stoning. Being transgender is also a crime.
• ☐ Public displays of affection — Public displays of affection for both LGBT and straight couples are frowned upon and may lead to criminal prosecution.
• ☐ Traffic-related gestures — Flipping another driver the finger or bird can result in fines up to 10,000 Riyals and up to 5 years in jail.

Before you go

General trip-prep, not specific to Saudi Arabia — the same short list applies anywhere.

• ☐ Register with your embassy's traveler program if one exists
• ☐ Check your passport's validity and blank-page requirements on your destination's official entry-rules page
• ☐ Photograph/screenshot your passport, visa, and travel insurance documents
• ☐ Download offline maps for your destination
• ☐ Confirm your bank/card issuer knows you're traveling
• ☐ Check whether your phone plan needs a travel add-on or a local SIM