A Trip to Saudi Arabia: Traveling Guide for First-Timers

With the global recovery on the horizon, many travelers globally are planning their next tour. Across Saudi Arabia, tourism attractions, restaurants, and hotels are taking steps to safely reopen with new protocols made to make sure the health of tourists is maintained.

Tourists also have to play their part by staying up to speed with the latest travel advice. Therefore, whether you are organizing a cross-country road trip or luxury staycation, the following are helpful tips to ensure your next Arabian trip is enjoyable, stress-free, and exciting:

1. Know Where to Shop

Saudi Arabia has high-end and huge shopping malls. In these centers, you will get a lot of international brands with different costs. 

The most common souvenirs are perfumes, cheenko, scarves with Arabic designs, henna templates, and ornate teapots.

2. Get an Insurance

When you are traveling to this country, it is important to buy travel insurance because the healthcare services might be expensive for foreigners. Some airlines provide different kinds of low-cost medical insurance policies for healthcare emergencies.

Most travel agencies also recommend affordable and credible companies that offer international travel insurance. However, you may also check online for different options.

3. Save on Accommodation

Accommodation is the biggest travel expense people try to eliminate the bare minimum. With many hotels with different costs, it may be overwhelming to choose one.

Therefore, the best way to save cash on accommodations is to work out your itinerary, depending on where cheaper hotels are. You can compare the best hotel reservation rates (أفضل أسعار حجوزات الفنادق) and spend more nights there.

4. Interact with the Locals Accordingly

It is all right to shake hands in farewell and greetings with the locals. However, kissing while greeting, like Europeans and Americans do, is not allowed. 

Saudis also stand too close as they talk, especially when the individuals have the same gender. Avoid backing away as the locals talk to you because they might perceive the distance as a sign of disrespect.

5. Taste the Food

Saudi Arabia has a lot to offer. You can try Middle Eastern, Armenian, Turkish, and Indian food. You may enjoy different culinary delights in the Dana Beach Resort. 

In addition, Dana Beach Resort rooms are available (توافر غرف منتجع شاطىء الدانة) where you may get services around the clock and order dishes, like Saleeg, Martabak, Tharid, just to name a few.

6. Understand the Religion

Religion controls all the corners of Saudi Arabia. The citizens must be Muslims, and publicly practicing any other religion apart from Islam is strictly forbidden.

During namaz – prayer times, everything must be shut down. This includes businesses, such as cafes, shops, and restaurants, except some hidden fancier places, closes for 15 or 30 minutes. In Sunni Islam, there are basically five prayer times each day. This include isha, maghrib, asr, duhr, and fajr.

The Bottom Line!

No country across the globe is as misunderstood as Saudi Arabia. People regard Saudi Arabia as the final frontier because it boasts dramatic mountaintops and beautiful oases, making it a great and dynamic destination for tourists.

For novice visitors, Saudi Arabia is a mysterious and elusive place where you need to understand the religion, taste the food, and shop for souvenirs to have a great experience.