Basics
Saudi Arabia
Riyadh is the capital city of Saudi Arabia.
Official language is Arabic. Saudi Arabia uses metric system (kilograms, centimeters, °C). Time zone is UTC+03:00.
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Weather
Riyadh has an average temperature of 26.2°C. Warmest month is July with 36°C and coldest January with 15°C.
Money
Currency
Saudi Arabia uses the Saudi riyal (symbol: ر.س), code SAR.
Banknotes come in denominations of 500, 100, 50, 10, 5 and 1 riyals. Riyal is subdivided into 100 halalas. Coins come in denominations of 2 and 1 riyals and 50, 25, 10, 5 and 1 halalas.
Tipping
Tipping is quite common in Saudi Arabia and it's good etiquette to leave one. How much money you leave depends on the service and how happy you were with it. Receipts might sometimes include a service charge.
ATMs
Automatic teller machines (local names: ATM or الصرف الآلي) are very common in Saudi Arabia. You can find them in both large & small cities, tourist areas etc.
You do not need a chip & PIN card to use an ATM — your standard magnetic card will work fine.
Communications
Internet
Internet speed in Saudi Arabia is on average 3.4 Mbps.
WiFi coverage in Saudi Arabia is low. It is not as easy to find one.
Mobile phone
Saudi Arabia uses GSM mobile networks GSM 900 and GSM 1800.
If you don't want to buy SIM card in Saudi Arabia upon arrival, make sure to check the roaming charges with your telecom provider before your departure so there are no surprises when you return home.
Dial code
To call Saudi Arabia, dial +, then 966 (the country code for Saudi Arabia), then the area code (without the initial 0) and the local number.
For local calls within Saudi Arabia, start with the area code (with the initial 0). In the case above area code is 11 .
Health & safety
LGBTIQ+
Homosexual practices are illegal in Saudi Arabia. Punishment ranges from a prison sentence, fine, and deportation to a death penalty.
Same-sex marriage is illegal.
Vaccinations
The following vaccinations listed for this country are recommended for your protection and to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
These apply only to select travelers or persons on work assignments.
Travel advisories
Alerts are issued for short-term events we think you should know about when planning travel to a country.
Driving
Public transportation
There are metro, bus & train lines available in Riyadh which are provided by Saptco (Saudi Public Transport Company) & Saudi Railways.
Single ticket costs 3.58 SAR while 30-day pass costs 150.00 SAR.
Road rules
In Saudi Arabia you drive on the right side. Most cars have manual transmission (stick).
Unless otherwise posted, the speed limits for cars and motorcycles are as follows: 100-120 km/h (62-74 mph) on undivided highways, 120 km/h (74 mph) on motorways, 120 km/h (74 mph) on expressways and 40-80 km/h (24-49 mph) in all built-up areas.
It is illegal to drive with blood alcohol content higher than 0.00%.