Riyadh Travel Tips: 10 Things to Know

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Before you book: Saudi Arabia is under a US State Department Level 3 “Reconsider Travel” advisory tied to the Iran/Houthi regional conflict since February 2026, and the UK FCDO now advises against all but essential travel to Riyadh Province itself. No strike has hit Riyadh city, but this is a live, evolving situation, so check travel.state.gov or gov.uk before booking anything. Plan this trip for when conditions allow, not for right now.

Riyadh has opened up a lot since 2019, but a handful of laws and norms genuinely matter for tourists, and one of them (below) surprises even careful travelers. Here are 10 things worth knowing before you go.

  1. Get your eVisa only through the official portal: visa.visitsaudi.com , about SAR 535, valid one year, multiple entry, 90-day stays per visit. An Umrah pilgrimage visa is a separate category, don’t confuse the two.
  2. The social-media and cybercrime law is the single biggest non-obvious risk: it’s named directly in the US government’s advisory. Tourists have been jailed over posts, including posts made before arrival, from abroad, or later deleted. Clean up anything sensitive or critical before you fly, and don’t post, share, or like controversial content while you’re in the country. Avoid public criticism of the monarchy or Islam.
  3. Alcohol is 100% illegal nationwide, no purchase, possession, or consumption, including in hotel rooms. There’s no tourist workaround. Evenings run on gahwa (cardamom coffee), mocktails, and shisha rather than bars.
  4. Dress modestly: shoulders and knees covered, loose fit. The abaya hasn’t been legally required for foreign women since 2019, though carrying a headscarf for mosque visits is sensible. Men should avoid shorts in formal or religious settings.
  5. Unmarried couples can share hotel rooms, a change since October 2019, just show passports at check-in. Solo women can book their own rooms and rent or drive cars, legal since 24 June 2018.
  6. Build slack around prayer times: shops used to pause five times a day for 20-30 minutes; reforms have relaxed this at most modern malls and chains, but smaller shops and souqs, plus Friday midday Jummah prayer (roughly 11:30-13:30), can still pause. The mid-afternoon Asr prayer tends to land right in prime sightseeing hours.
  7. LGBT status is illegal under Saudi law, applying equally to foreigners. Worth knowing plainly before you travel.
  8. Never photograph government buildings, military sites, or people without asking first. Streets, skylines, and heritage sites are fine.
  9. Exit bans and a zero-tolerance, death-penalty drug policy are both named in official advisories. Not something to worry about day to day, but worth knowing.
  10. During Ramadan, no eating, drinking, or smoking in public during daylight, a rule that applies to non-Muslims too. The city livens up considerably after iftar.

Practical basics: currency is the Saudi Riyal (SAR), pegged at 3.75 to the US dollar. King Khalid International Airport (RUH) is open but has seen flight delays and cancellations tied to regional disruption, so check with your airline before flying. The Riyadh Metro (six lines, opened December 2024 to January 2025, fares from SAR 4) covers most of the modern city; Careem and Uber handle the rest. Best months are November through March; summer highs above 45C make midday sightseeing miserable.

For the sights these tips apply to, see our main Riyadh guide , and for a day-by-day plan built around all of this, our Riyadh 2 day itinerary .