Hegra (Madain Saleh)
AlUla
UNESCO; 131 Nabataean rock tombs — sister of Petra.
Language buttons — what each contraction means
Tap a button to read the app in that language. The short code is the language, not a tourist destination.
- EN
- = English — United Kingdom, USA, and worldwide
- العربية
- = Arabic — Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Morocco, and the Arab world
- FR
- = French — France (and francophone countries)
- ES
- = Spanish — Spain (and Spanish-speaking countries)
- DE
- = German — Germany — Deutschland
- TR
- = Turkish — Türkiye (Turkey)
- 中文
- = Chinese — China
- 日本語
- = Japanese — Japan
- RU
- = Russian — Russia
- IT
- = Italian — Italy
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
السعودية · SAR · 911 / 999 · as of 2026-08
How the country is laid out
Continent-scale. Riyadh (Najd) centre. Jeddah + Red Sea west; AlUla/Hegra north-west. Eastern Province oil cities. Asir mountains south (green). Non-Muslims cannot enter Mecca or the central mosque zone in Medina. 1 USD = 3.75 SAR peg. Alcohol banned nationwide.
Places
Maraya Concert Hall
AlUla
World’s largest mirrored building.
Diriyah / At-Turaif
Riyadh
UNESCO birthplace of the first Saudi state.
Al-Balad
Jeddah
UNESCO coral-stone houses, roshan balconies.
Edge of the World
Riyadh region
300 m cliff over the plateau.
Elephant Rock
AlUla
Sandstone elephant; sunset.
Al-Ahsa Oasis
Eastern Province
World’s largest oasis; 2.5 million palms.
Ithra
Dhahran
King Abdulaziz Centre for World Culture.
Prices (ranges, not quotes)
| Item | Range | USD | As of |
|---|---|---|---|
| Street / cafeteria meal | 10–25 SAR | ~USD 2.7–6.7 | 2026-08 |
| Mid-range restaurant pp | 50–200 SAR | ~USD 13–53 | 2026-08 |
| Karak tea | 5–10 SAR | ~USD 1.3–2.7 | 2026-08 |
| Hegra entry | 90–100 SAR | ~USD 24–27 | 2026-08 |
| Desert safari | 200–600 SAR | ~USD 53–160 | 2026-08 |
| Riyadh Metro ride | 4–4 SAR | ~USD 1.07–1.07 | 2026-08 |
| T-shirt | 50–120 SAR | ~USD 13–32 | 2026-08 |
| Haramain train Jeddah–Medina | 40–150 SAR | ~USD 11–40 | 2026-08 |
Hotels
Ritz-Carlton Riyadh
Diplomatic Quarter
Palatial gardens, spa.
275–1000 USD / night
No public number verified — use official site.
Passport. No alcohol. Ramadan: no public eating in daylight. 14:00 / 12:00.
Gardens, spa
Four Seasons Riyadh
Kingdom Centre
Tower, sky bridge views.
300–600 USD / night
No public number verified — use official site.
Passport. Women may book alone.
Tower, restaurants
Banyan Tree AlUla
AlUla
Rock villas, private pools.
800–1500 USD / night
No public number verified — use official site.
Desert dress + nights get cold.
Villas, pools
Park Hyatt Jeddah
Corniche
Marina, spa, art.
250–500 USD / night
No public number verified — use official site.
Passport.
Corniche, marina
Alcohol strictly illegal. Unmarried foreign couples usually OK in licensed hotels. Family vs single sections in some properties.
Transport & delivery apps
| App | Kind | Best for | vs others |
|---|---|---|---|
| Careem All major + smaller towns | ride | Primary super-app | With Uber holds ~76% of requests Q1 2026 |
| Uber Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Mecca, Medina, Abha, AlUla | ride | Airports | Familiar UI |
| Bolt Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Mecca | ride | Budget | Fastest growing |
| HungerStation KSA #1 | food | Default food | Vs Jahez: HungerStation coverage; Jahez speed/local |
| Jahez Major cities | food | Locals’ favourite speed | Strong tracking |
| Darb Riyadh | transit | Riyadh Metro | Haramain app for Jeddah–Mecca–Medina train |
SIM / eSIM / internet
stc
Widest
Tourist / prepaid at airports
Passport Iqama-style KYC
mobily
Cities
Competitive data
Shops + airport
Zain KSA
Urban 5G
Visitor packs
Cities
Airalo / Holafly / local stc eSIM. 5G in big cities. Type G plugs.
Culture
Clothes
Modest dress still wise; abaya no longer mandatory for visitors but conservative areas expect coverage. Mosques: extra modest.
Food
Kabsa, jareesh, dates, karak, Al-Baik chicken cult. No pork, no alcohol.
Marriage
Islamic contract, gender-separated celebrations common, mahr.
History
Nabataean Hegra, early Saudi states at Diriyah, unification 1932, Vision 2030 tourism opening.
Stories
AlUla inscriptions called a ‘Library of Arabia’. Maraya mirrors the desert so the hall almost vanishes.
Map
Community translation — verify medical, legal, and visa text.