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Mecca Hotels: 207 Reviews - 326 Photos
Medina Hotels: 212 Reviews - 320 Photos
Riyadh Hotels: 661 Reviews - 1104 Photos
Jiddah Hotels: 955 Reviews - 1191 Photos
Abha Hotels: 24 Reviews - 35 Photos
Dhahran Hotels: 86 Reviews - 129 Photos
Ad Dammam Hotels: 56 Reviews - 91 Photos
Najran Hotels: 14 Reviews - 18 Photos
Ras Tanura Hotels: 8 Reviews - 15 Photos
Sakaka Hotels: 9 Reviews - 10 Photos
Al Khubar Hotels: 66 Reviews - 144 Photos
Khamis Mushayt Hotels: 0 Reviews
`Usfan Hotels: 0 Reviews - 6 Photos
Tabuk Hotels: 13 Reviews - 4 Photos
Duba Hotels: 7 Reviews - 13 Photos

Saudi Arabia Local Customs

They discourage smoking, perhaps the...

by hajjabdullah

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They discourage smoking, perhaps the...
by hajjabdullah
This is me, hajjabdullah with some...
by hajjabdullah
Entrance to the Prohphet's Mosque in...
by hajjabdullah
Across from the Grand Mosque, Mecca;...
by hajjabdullah
You can buy a miswak [toothpick] from...
by hajjabdullah

Most Viewed Local Customs in Saudi Arabia

76.

Religion/History/Culture Jiddah

17 Reviews I recently have been to a Sufi service which is quite commong among the Sufi community men and women respectively. Since it's mainly a segregated culture when it comes to conducting such services,...

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77.

Mosques/Masjid Jiddah

13 Reviews Jeddah one of the famous cities in which the magnificence of the deep rooted past combines with the originality of the present with all its modernity. This allowed Jeddah to preserve its distinguished...

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78.

Wedding Customs Jiddah

4 Reviews this seems to be a long tradition that has originated in arabia but certainly not from jeddah. it's a mixture of henna and water i think. then, it's stirred and mixed in a bowl to make it a thick...

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79.

Holy Month of Ramadan Jiddah

8 Reviews ... you are either an invited guest in the Kingdom or by circumstance due to lack of opportunities, means, you were not forced directly by the host country to come here, therefore, you are subject to...

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80.

Schools/ Education system Jiddah

13 Reviews I liked 2 listen how school was introduced 2 Saudi Arabia & when women officially were given the right to education. Sixty yrs ago,only boys,against housekeeper girls,used 2 attend group studies...

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81.

Housing Architect. Jiddah

15 Reviews The last few years, witnessed a new architectural trend that was trying to combine modern architecture with the Arabic style. The interest in architectural heritage has gone beyond academic studies...

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82.

Wearing the veil. Jiddah

4 Reviews To cover or not to cover, that is the Western woman's question. Well, the first 3/4 of my trip I did not cover my head. The last 1/4 of my trip I did. I found that I was a lot more respected, even...

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83.

Eating Customs&Manners Jiddah

3 Reviews although i have spent most of my life in jeddah, i never thought of what the national dish could be or what jeddawi people eat in everyday life. perhaps i take everything for granted when it comes to...

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84.

Welcoming New babies to the World Jiddah

3 Reviews i guess every reader is aware that Saudia has got the highest birth rate in the world. perhaps Saudis are so proud of it, being the first generator (or exporter,lol) of human babies and resources,...

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85.

Prayertime Retreat Jiddah

3 Reviews This is what I miss most since I left home to have my break time 4 times per working day. This comes from the daily Five Islamic Prayers; Fajr (dawn), Dhohor (noon), Asr (late afternoon), Maghrib...

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86.

Local dress/Tradional wear Jiddah

1 Review For men: Shorts above the knee are not very welcome. You will feel uncomfortable anyway, cause nobody wears them. For women: Don't wear sexy clothes. Try to cover your body completely. The magic...

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87.

Eid Celebrations Jiddah

2 Reviews Eid means an annual event to be remembered by public. Jeddah celebrates two official Eids every year; Eid al Fiter and Eid al Ad'ha. The first means the celebrationf of breaking the fast, and the...

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88.

Greetings customs Jiddah

1 Review For both women and men, this greeting is common. It's to touch cheek by cheek three times on the right, one time on the left, no kissing, as one shakes hands. This greeting is only common among men to...

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89.

Services At The Corniche Jiddah

2 Reviews In Jeddah, a lot of families/friends have picnics in the evenings (once the sun sets it gets a bit cooler). Common sites are: around the monuments, sculptures and grassy median strips, and also along...

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90.

Condolence Customs Jiddah

2 Reviews its divided into 2 steps:The burial: the deceased, Islamically, should be buried ASAP as a sign of honouring them by giving them home. the deceased's body must be washed in a certain way by family...

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91.

Local Drinks Jiddah

1 Review The drink of choice in Jeddah seems to be freshly made juice. There are juice stands everywhere, and prices start at about SR 3 a glass. You choose your own fruit combinations. My favourite is...

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Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Handshake (for men)

by Manyana

If you're visiting a Saudi family, or invited to a Saudi occasion, don't look in the eyes of women directly. They'd think you're staring at them or flirting. Also, never be the first to shake hand with women. Some women really don't like to exchange hand shake with men. So wait for a woman to extend a hand, otherwise, just say hi or salaam.My family is conservative, where once I invited a guy I met in a conference. So I gave him this tip. He found it a bit difficult not to shake hand with my sister and mother. So he nodded his down like Chinese and said hi,lol.

Traditional Clothing (male)

by Manyana

MALE DRESSTHOBE: The traditional clothing for men is the Thobe, a loose, long-sleeved, ankle-length garment. Thobes worn in summer are generally white and made of cotton. Thobes worn in winter are generally darker in color and made of wool.TAGIYAH: The Tagiyah is a white knitted skull capGHUTRA: The Ghutra is a square scarf, made of cotton or silk, which is worn folded across the head over the Tagiyah. The end of the scarf can be draped across the face as protection in the event of sandstorms.AGAL: The Agal is a thick, doubled, black cord which is worn on top of the Ghutra to hold it in place.Non-Saudi men visitors can wear whatever suits them, but it should be decent, not too expressive.p.s. this information is quoted, check the link below

Traditional clothing (female)

by Manyana

FEMALE DRESSTHOBE: Women wear the Thobe - a loose, long-sleeved, ankle-length garment, but, for women, the neck and front can be embroidered and decorated with beads.ABAYA: The Abaya is a large, black cloak, worn either loose and flowing or wrapped around the body. The Abaya is generally made of silk or synthetic cloth. For non-Saudi:Every woman who visit Saudi should dress abaya.BOSHIYA: The Boshiya is a black veil, light in weight, worn across the lower part of the face.SURWAL: The Surwal are cotton or silk trousers worn by women under the Thobe.p.s. this tip is quoted

Saudi Currency

by majed81

The Saudi Riyal (SR) is the unit of currency in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is divided into a hundred Halalah. The denominations of the Saudi currency are as follows:Bills: 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 Riyals.Coins: 5, 10, 25, 50, and 100 Halalahs.The fixed exchange rate of SR3.75 is U.S. $1.00.~~~~~~~~~~Learn Arabic Numbers regarding $:Money = Floos.1= Wahed.5= Khamsah. Kh in Arabic like the Russian KH.10= Asharah.20= Eshreen.50= Khamseen.100= Meyah.200= Meetain.500= Khomso ma’ah.

Try simple vegetarian Saudi dish (Baba Gannoj)

by majed81

The G in Gannoj pronounced like the French (R)Try simple vegetarian Saudi dish (Baba Gannoj)Very popular dish in the Middle East and each part of the Middle East have their own recipe.Here is the Saudi way.One big eggplantOne small spoon of lemon salt2 fingers of garlic (cut it very small)4 big spoons of yogurtSmall spoon of sesames3 big spoons of Sesame heavy oil (Tahina), look for it in Arabic marketsSmall spoon of saltParsleys for decoration (cut it small)1 fresh lemonOlive oilBeta bread1) Barbeque the eggplant until you think it is cooked (I will lose most of the water and get smaller)2) Then peal the black skin of the eggplant.3) Try to cut it and mix it with the fork. You can use the mixture machine.4) Add the lemon salt, the salt, yogurt, sesame oil, garlic, and the sesame above the smashed eggplant. Mix them with the fork very well. 5) Put it in a plate and add the Parsleys. 6)...

Saudi Women.

by majed81

Women been a big issue in Saudi Arabia.I been getting so many emails about women in Saudi Arabia and how come they don’t work.I have to change those stereotypes immediately because Saudi women work.Defiantly they have schools, colleges and universities.In fact they are really educated and when it comes to Saudi women I think they are really unique and special in many cases.The majority of females family members are working and all educated.Saudi women can be a doctor, nurse, TV/Radio speaker; work in privet offices or anything dose not have as effect on her body muscles. They can even own their own shops, business and role men.

Thobe and gutra

by iwys

The majority of Saudi men wear almost identical clothes, like a uniform. These are a long, white gown, called a thobe, a folded cloth worn over the head, which is called a gutra if it is white and a shimaagh when it has a red-and-white checked pattern. This is held in place by a coil of black rope, known as an igaal.In cold weather, the thin white thobe is replaced with a thicker brown one.On their feet, Saudis usually wear sandals.

Camels

by iwys

Camels are still a very common sight in Saudi Arabia and they have many uses. There are camel races, the biggest of which involves nearly 1,000 camels in an annual 18km race, just outside Riyadh.Driving on the highways, you will see camel crossing warning signs and you will also see camels riding in the back of pick-up trucks.Mostly, they are kept for their milk and their meat. When you visit bedouins, they will often offer you fresh camel's milk with dates. You can also find cartons of it on sale in supermarkets. I find it a bit too thin and watery for my taste.Camel meat is also sold in all of the supermarkets. It tends to be more expensive than most other types of meat, and it's quite tough, which is why the more tender, "baby camel meat" is the most popular.

Something else

by HAROLD_PR

Al right, after some days driving around the capital, looking for something to do, we decided to leave it. We went outside the city for about 35 minutes and found, like in most countries, a different world outside the capital. There were no royal familiy here, no oil moguls, no BMW's. We found a different kind of dealership; where they sell camels. We spend some hours "test-driving" some of the young and old "models" and there seem to be a lot of Saudis shopping too. It was fun, the whole time I gave the impression I was a serious buyer and they treated me as such, showing me all the parameters and specifications of my potential purchase. Buying a camel was more complicated than I thought. Anyways, people here were nice, humble, friendly. No one seemed in a rush, it was all rustic. In this place, out there, we had lunch with some locals and talked about Islam, the United States, and the...

Welcoming new babies to the world

by marimar_72

Here is a picture of a decorated door in a hosptial,the baby is a boy as you can tell.The baby gets his (Sabi`e)Done in after a week from his birth date,some couples like to delay it until the mother catches her breath ;-)it`s like a shower party only done after birth.friends and relatives are invited,some like to combine 2 celebrations together,where also kids of the family are invited,then it`s called (Rahmani)by the Jiddawi accent.The baby wears his best clothes(there are even some special custom wear for this occation)...candles are lit and handed to other kids to sing in joy around the new born..candies and gifts are handed to the children.most songs involve prayers for the new born baby wishing him a good health and good future.Then everybody feasts on meat and rice,yet some families like to add more of the international cuisine too.The Rahmani song goes like"Ya rab ya...

Top 3 Hotels in Saudi Arabia

Hilton Hotel Jiddah

3 Reviews and 67 Opinions i have a long history and ties with Hilton Jeddah; have been to many conferences, bazaars,...

Hotels in Jiddah

Al Faisaliah, A Rosewood Hotel Riyadh

7 Reviews and 56 Opinions The Al-Fasaliah hotel in Riyadh is part of the leading hotels of the world, from check in to check...

Hotels in Riyadh

InterContinental Dar Al Taqwa Medina

2 Reviews and 10 Opinions Dar al Taqwa is the CLOSEST hotel to the Haram in Madinah! It offers a breathtaking view of the...

Hotels in Medina

167 Hotels in Saudi Arabia

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Reviews and photos of Saudi Arabia attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Saudi Arabia sightseeing.

Experience Saudi Arabia

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Local Customs: Cities in Saudi Arabia

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Mintaqat Makkah Local Customs Mintaqat ar Riyad Local Customs Mintaqat al Madinah Local Customs Al Mintaqah ash Sharqiyah Local Customs Mintaqat `Asir Local Customs

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Questions and Answers

Q: Greetings! I have a friend/business partner who would like to do some traveling in the United States. He is a Saudi citizen...

A: The answer is that your friend cannot count on any "typical" scenario. He could be in and out of immigration in five minutes, or it could take 50 minutes, or 5 hours, or...

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