Country guide
At 2,149,690 square kilometres, Saudi Arabia is the largest country in the Middle East and the only one with coastline on both the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf...
Photograph · Saudi Press Agency (SPA) · CC BY-SA 4.0
Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor
At 2,149,690 square kilometres, Saudi Arabia is the largest country in the Middle East and the only one with coastline on both the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf — which is the fact that separates its cities. Riyadh, the capital, stands inland at the centre and is built at driving scale. Jeddah on the Red Sea is the older port, with a coral-stone historic quarter and the water at the end of the street, while Mecca and Medina, the two holiest cities in Islam, are closed to non-Muslims. The 33.7 million people counted in 2024 are gathered into a handful of centres with long empty desert in between.
Checked 2026-08-25
Every city catalogued in this country so far, ranked by how much there is to see.
Photograph · B.alotaby · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photograph · Wurzelgnohm · CC0
Photograph · Saudi Press Agency (SPA) · CC BY-SA 4.0
Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.
142 places match
Category
Typical visit duration
Interests
Hayy Jameel is Art Jameel's dedicated arts complex and creative hub in Jeddah, opened to the public on December 6, 2021. The name Hayy means neighbourhood in Arabic and describes the centre's community-oriented purpose.
Hijr Ismail is the crescent-shaped enclosure beside the Kaaba's northern wall inside the Grand Mosque.
Bujairi Terrace is a contemporary dining and leisure destination in Diriyah, northwest of Riyadh.
Mina is a tent city in the Makkah Region of Saudi Arabia, located approximately 5 kilometres east of the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca.
جامع الإمام تركي بن عبدالله
The Imam Turki bin Abdullah Grand Mosque stands as one of Riyadh's most significant religious landmarks. Named after the founder of the Second Saudi State, this grand mosque serves as a principal place of worship in the Saudi capital.
Muzdalifah is an open plain located between the holy sites of Arafat and Mina, approximately seven kilometres east of Mecca.
The Globe Experience at Al Faisaliah Tower is a spherical observation structure perched near the summit of one of Riyadh's most recognizable skyscrapers.
The Diplomatic Quarter is a secure, purpose-built district in northwest Riyadh established to house foreign embassies and diplomatic missions. Covering a substantial planned area, it functions as a self-contained zone with restricted access protocols.
The Saudi Arabia Museum of Contemporary Art (SAMOCA) is a dedicated institution for contemporary art located in Riyadh's JAX District, an emerging cultural zone in the Saudi capital.
The Jeddah Yacht Club is a private marina and leisure destination on Jeddah's modern waterfront, known locally as نادي جدة لليخوت. It operates as a separate marina destination distinct from the broader Jeddah Waterfront district.
The Jeddah Art Promenade, known locally as ممشى جدة الفني, is a public waterfront walkway along Jeddah's North Corniche.
Hira Cultural District is a modern interpretive development in Makkah dedicated to the history of divine revelation.
Naila Art Gallery is a contemporary art space in Riyadh dedicated to visual art and cultural exchange. It supports both emerging and established artists and contributes to the city’s growing gallery scene.
Al Faisal Museum for Arab-Islamic Art is a Riyadh cultural museum devoted to Arab and Islamic artistic heritage. Its collections connect visitors with the visual traditions, materials, and craftsmanship of Islamic civilization.
The King Abdulaziz Complex for the Holy Kaaba Kiswa is the manufacturing facility responsible for producing the Kiswa, the black silk cloth embroidered with gold that covers the Kaaba in the Grand Mosque.
The Red Sand Dunes are an open desert landscape near Riyadh, known for reddish sand formations associated with the Najd region. The dunes offer a strong contrast with the capital’s buildings, roads, and broad urban districts.
الحجر الأسود
The Black Stone is an ancient stone set into the eastern outer corner of the Kaaba in the Grand Mosque of Mecca, Islam's holiest site.
الكعبة
The Kaaba is the cube-shaped building at the centre of Al Masjid Al Haram in Makkah, and it is the qiblah, the direction every Muslim in the world faces in prayer.
جبل الرحمة
Mount Arafat, known locally as Jabal al-Rahmah or the Mountain of Mercy, is a granite hill approximately east of central Mecca in Saudi Arabia.
المسجد الحرام
Al Masjid Al Haram is the mosque built around the Kaaba in the centre of Makkah, and it is the largest mosque in the world by area and by the number of people it holds.
جبل النور
Jabal al-Nour, the Mountain of Light, is a bare rock peak on the north-eastern side of Mecca, a little over five kilometres from Al-Masjid al-Haram.
غار حراء
The Cave of Hira is a cleft in the rock near the top of Jabal al-Nour, the mountain that rises northeast of central Makkah.
The International Fair and Museum of the Prophet's Biography is a specialist museum in Mecca's King Abdulaziz Endowment, inside the Clock Towers shopping centre beside the Holy Mosque.
مقام إبراهيم
The Station of Abraham, known locally as Maqam Ibrahim, is a significant Islamic religious site in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
جسر الجمرات
Jamaraat Bridge is a pedestrian bridge in Mina, near Mecca, constructed for the Islamic ritual of stoning the devil during Hajj. The structure allows pilgrims to throw pebbles at three stone pillars representing Satan.
Eight to twelve days can combine three days in Riyadh, three in Jeddah, and a dedicated AlUla leg. Makkah is subject to religious eligibility and pilgrimage permissions and must not be planned as an ordinary sightseeing stop.
Saudi entry depends on nationality and purpose, with tourist eVisa and pilgrimage permissions following different rules. Confirm eligibility through the official Saudi visa service and the relevant pilgrimage authority before booking.
Domestic flights cover Saudi Arabia's long distances, while Haramain high-speed rail serves Makkah, Jeddah, the airport, and Madinah. Other routes rely on buses or cars, and desert excursions require an appropriate vehicle and reliable operator.
November through February offers the most practical outdoor conditions for Riyadh, Jeddah, and desert excursions. Pilgrimage periods can change access and demand independently of weather, so check the religious calendar and permit rules.
Saudi Arabia uses the riyal (SAR). Cards are common in cities, but carry a SAR backup for smaller stops and verify the local-currency total before accepting payment.
Use 911 as the unified emergency number where supported and 997 for ambulance service in Saudi Arabia. Type G sockets supply 230 V; tap-water guidance is not recorded here.
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