Saudi Arabia: country facts, travel advice and health

Uber: ride-hailing that works across the whole country.Careem: ride-hailing app, an easy alternative to street taxis.Bolt: ride-hailing in Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Medina and Jazan.Absher: government system where traffic fines are logged and paid before departure.Kollona Amn: report security risks and serious crimes to the authorities.Nusuk Hajj: the only official platform for booking a Hajj place.

Source: Wikivoyage · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Cards or cash

Mostly cashMostly cards

Step 2 of 5: Cash is used for most things; cards are accepted in some places.Source: Wikivoyage · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Money in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Riyal · SAR

Withdraw cash at Samba, SABB or ANB machines; many smaller banks' ATMs reject foreign cards.

The riyal is pegged at 3.75 to the US dollar, so dollar conversions are easy.

Upscale restaurants often add a 10% service charge that may not reach staff; ask the waiter before tipping.

Carry riyals: shops rarely accept foreign money, and exchange offices are mostly in souks.

Source: Wikivoyage · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Collect Saudi Riyal in CointryOur sister app for coin and banknote collectors · cointry.appOpen

Public holidays in the next 12 months

Mon, 8 Feb 2027–8 Mar · Ramadan (expected date)

Tue, 9 Mar 2027 · Eid al-Fitr (expected date)

Sun, 16 May 2027 · Eid al-Adha (expected date)

Source: Umm al-Qura calendar (computed with ICU) · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

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Safety today

Germany, the US and the UK publish their travel advice openly. Here is what those that cover Saudi Arabia say, side by side, checked daily.

German Foreign Office says

Travel warning

Calm

Caution

Serious

Don’t go ●

Source: Auswärtiges Amt
Updated 23 Oct 2026 · Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page

U.S. Department of State says

Reconsider travel

Calm

Caution

Serious ●

Don’t go

Level 3 of 4

Source: travel.state.gov
Updated 22 Oct 2026 · Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page

UK Foreign Office says

Advises against all travel to parts of the country

Some regions differ, see the official page.

Source: GOV.UK
Updated 21 Oct 2026 · Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page

Scams to know

Fake Hajj and Umrah packages

Book Hajj only on Nusuk Hajj; check Umrah ATOL cover, research firms, pay by credit card.

Source: GOV.UK · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Countrywise is a summary. The official page is authoritative.

03Free

Health

Routine jabs, hepatitis A, B, typhoid; meningococcal for Hajj/Umrah. Malaria, altitude sickness in parts.

Vaccinations

Keep routine vaccines up to date; hepatitis A is advised for unvaccinated travellers from age one, and hepatitis B and typhoid are also recommended, with a meningococcal vaccine required for Hajj or Umrah.

Malaria

In some regions

Altitude

Altitude sickness can affect visitors in some parts of the country.

Talk to a travel clinic 4–8 weeks before you go.

Source: CDC
Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page

Summarised from the CDC’s Travelers’ Health pages. Using them does not mean the CDC endorses Countrywise.

04Travel layer

In the app: the travel layer

The travel layer

Read a country like someone who’s been there.

What’s different from home, and what’s the lawMust-see places, free entry and World Heritage sites20 words to remember, with pronunciationStrange and surprising factsThe anthem and national symbolsSaved for offline use

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Must-see · 1Riyadh

The kingdom's capital and its biggest city.

Source: Wikivoyage · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Strange & surprising · #1

The weekend falls on Friday and Saturday; until 2013 it was Thursday and Friday.

Source: Wikivoyage · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

National anthem: Chant of the Saudi Nation. The lyrics, translated, and the story are in the app. Source: Wikidata · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

8 World Heritage sites in Saudi Arabia, each with a photo and its story, in the app. Source: UNESCO World Heritage List

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Deep facts

Economy
GDP	≈ $1.3 trillionSource: World Bank · 2025 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Per person	≈ $34,537Source: World Bank · 2025 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Top exports	crude petroleum, refined petroleum, plastics, alcohols, ships (2023)Source: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗

Population
Population	37 millionSource: World Bank · 2025 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Median age	32.8 yearsSource: The World Factbook (archive) · 2025 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Life expectancy	77.2 yearsSource: The World Factbook (archive) · 2024 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Religions	Muslim (official; citizens are 85-90% Sunni and 10-12% Shia), other (includes Eastern Orthodox, Protestant, Roman Catholic, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, and Sikh) (2020 est.)Source: The World Factbook (archive) · 2020 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗

Geography
Area	2,149,690 km²Source: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Climate	harsh, dry desert with great temperature extremesSource: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Terrain	mostly sandy desertSource: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗

Government
Type of government	absolute monarchySource: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Calling code	+966Source: libphonenumber · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

About the data

Written from the sources we link, and checked against them before each release. Countrywise summarises public sources. We are not an official source. For safety and entry rules, always follow the official page we link to.

From your foreign ministry when it publishes its advice openly (Germany, the US, the UK). Otherwise we show those three side by side. Checked daily, with the date next to every entry.

CDC · 24 Oct 2026 ↗GOV.UK · 24 Oct 2026 ↗IANA Time Zone Database · 23 Oct 2026 ↗libphonenumber · 24 Oct 2026 ↗The World Factbook (archive) · 23 Oct 2026 ↗U.S. Department of State · 25 Oct 2026 ↗Umm al-Qura calendar (computed with ICU) · 24 Oct 2026 ↗Unicode CLDR · 24 Oct 2026 ↗Wikidata · 24 Oct 2026 ↗Wikivoyage · 24 Oct 2026 ↗World Bank · 23 Oct 2026 ↗

Flag artwork from flag-icons (MIT licence).