Riyadh
Discover Riyadh
Riyadh (الرياض ar-Riyāḍ) is the capital of Saudi Arabia, slightly east of the center of the country in the heart of the Tuwaig escarpment. Known by local wags as the Dead Center of the Kingdom, Riyadh is considered the most straight-laced of the Kingdom's big three cities. With many forms of entertainment banned, few sights of interest and a brutal climate, Riyadh is a business-only destination if there ever was one, but it's also the best place in the kingdom to watch the continuing collision of tribal Wahhabi conservatism grappling with modern technology and Western influences, and things have loosened up slightly under Crown Prince MBS's watch.
What to Experience in Riyadh
Taste of Riyadh...
Eating out is one of the few pleasures of Riyadh — there's a pretty good selection of restaurants for various cuisines, ranging from cheap and hearty to fancy and expensive. Your best bet for cheap, filling meals are Riyadh's countless small Pakistani/Indian restaurants, which can fill you up with curry and rice for about SR11. Fast food places abound in Riyadh's shopping malls, with a full meal with drink averaging around SR20. If you want something other than the usual hamburgers and kebabs, Pizza Hut offers a pretty good salad buffet. With alcohol and nightclubs banned, Riyadh's nightlife is infamously non-existent. Despite that however, the Riyadh is much more lively and vibrant during the night as the temperature cools. Shisha (water pipe) cafes, long banned, were finally allowed back within city limits from 2019 -- ask a local (or any taxi driver) for his favorite. Coffee shops can also be found in abundance throughout the city, particularly on Tahlia St (officially Prince Mohammed Bin Abdul Aziz St) in Olaya. For the foreign workers - the expats - the social life can be quite (well, comparatively) rich however. There are always a good party going on in the embassy area or in one of the compounds. And at these private parties there's always a chance to find some illegal booze. In case you run into it, especially within expat communities, Saudi champagne refers to a non-alcoholic drink, typically a mix of Sprite and apple cider.
A Rich Past
Explore the historical roots that shaped Riyadh into what it is today.
Until the 16th century, Riyadh was known as "Hajr", an important city of central Arabia dating from at least the 3rd century CE (and probably older). In the Middle Ages, Hajr served as the capital of the province of Al-Yamamah, whose viceroys presided over most of central and eastern Arabia. With the decline in the fortunes and wealth of central Arabia after the 10th century, the name Al-Yamama gradually disappeared, and Hajr became subsumed under the name "Najd", which had referred only to areas lying further west. The name Hajr also gave way to the name "Ar-Riyadh" (meaning "the gardens"), as the old city broke into several towns and farming estates. Riyadh (or, rather, the neighboring hamlet of Diriyah) is the ancestral home of the al-Sauds, who founded the Emirate of Diriyah in 1727. The nascent emirate was crushed by Ottoman forces in 1818, and what was left of the population fled to Riyadh. Driven out from Riyadh as well by the Rashids in 1891, King Abdulaziz ibn Saud famously raided and recaptured the city in 1902. In the early 1900s, Riyadh was a dusty walled town of under 20,000 people surrounded by palm groves, fertile wadis, and a number of small villages. The city was made the capital of Saudi Arabia when the country was born in 1932, and has grown explosively ever since then. In 2008, the city was estimated to have 5 million inhabitants; as of 2025, its population is 7.7 million people. Riyadh is vast and sprawling....
Festivals & Events
Experience the vibrant festivals and cultural celebrations of Riyadh.
The Jenadriyah festival (الجنادرية al-Jenadriyah, also Janadriyah, Janadria etc) was a two-week-long festival of Saudi culture held every year in February or March around 45 km from Riyadh. Alas, the festival was "postponed" in 2020 due to COVID and has not been held since. Riyadh's main roads are nothing but one shopping mall after another. Eating out is one of the few pleasures of Riyadh — there's a pretty good selection of restaurants for various cuisines, ranging from cheap and hearty to fancy and expensive. Your best bet for cheap, filling meals are Riyadh's countless small Pakistani/Indian restaurants, which can fill you up with curry and rice for about SR11. Fast food places abound in Riyadh's shopping malls, with a full meal with drink averaging around SR20. If you want something other than the usual hamburgers and kebabs, Pizza Hut offers a pretty good salad buffet. With alcohol and nightclubs banned, Riyadh's nightlife is infamously non-existent.
Climate
Located in the middle of the country, Riyadh suffers from the worst of Saudi Arabia's climatic extremes. Summer temperatures regularly exceed 50°C, while winter temperatures can fall below zero. It's bone dry throughout the year, and when the wind blows the city is often covered in a haze of sand. However, while summers are blazing hot, they are not humid, which goes some way to alleviate the pain. Summer evenings are generally tolerable and one even encounters the occasional cool breeze, especially on the outskirts of town. The climate has been shifting in this part of the world as well. Temperatures near 50°C are usually only reached end of July and in August. In 2009, the temperature in Riyadh hit 48°C mid-June. Especially if you wear a business suit, it is imperative to stay out of the sun. Riyadh is a long way from anywhere, so odds are fairly high you'll be arriving by plane.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsRiyadh is a long way from anywhere, so odds are fairly high you'll be arriving by plane. Aside from Saudia, direct connections from outside the Gulf and South Asia are surprisingly limited, but options include Lufthansa from Frankfurt, British Airways from London-Heathrow, Air France from Paris, Turkish Airlines from Istanbul IST and Cathay Pacific from Hong Kong. The most internationally popular route, though, is via Dubai, from where there are at least half a dozen flights daily. Domestically, Riyadh is one of the main hubs and there are flights to every corner of the Kingdom, including near-hourly departures to Jeddah. Unlike Jeddah, immigration and customs clearance at Riyadh is usually fairly straightforward (unless the computer system is down). Standing in the wrong line for immigration may work out fine for you, or you may be catapulted back to the end of a different line when you hit the front position (making all that waiting worthless)....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
Riyadh is very much a car-oriented city, although the Riyadh Metro finally provides an alternative. There are no street addresses as such in Riyadh, as mail is delivered to post office boxes, so getting around requires knowing landmarks near the place where you want to go. The only reliable means of transport in Riyadh is a car: you would either depend on cabs or you would have to rent your own car. Generally prices are lower in Riyadh than most other big cities in the world. Although many streets, roads and landmarks are marked in both Arabic & English yet there are a few important major streets, roads and exits that are still marked in Arabic only. It is important to carry your valid identification (i.e. passport, national ID, or Iqama) at all times. You may experience difficulties obtaining accommodation and may experience bigger problems if you are stopped at any of the city's check points (these can be both permanent or temporary).
Where to Stay
Most of Riyadh's budget accommodation is in al-Batha. It is advised that you should check the room condition and proper functioning of all equipment (e.g. TAP/FLUSH/TV/Power Outlets etc.)in budget hotel prior to check in. At the upper end, hotel prices in Riyadh have increased rapidly in the past few years and are now almost as expensive as Dubai. Expect to pay north of SR600. Internet cafes can be found in the computer souq in Olaya. Riyadh is also pushing forward with its "Smart City" program, which will attempt to provide wireless access throughout the city in the major coffeeshops and hotels, particularly on Tahlia St in the downtown area. Pretty much every place offers free Wifi. Be aware that logging in with international phone numbers will not work (Nov 2022) in most places. Having a smart phone with internet access is essential as many services are available digital only (e.g. tickets sales). Riyadh is more conservative than Jeddah or the Eastern Province.
Money & Budget
Riyadh's main roads are nothing but one shopping mall after another. Eating out is one of the few pleasures of Riyadh — there's a pretty good selection of restaurants for various cuisines, ranging from cheap and hearty to fancy and expensive. Your best bet for cheap, filling meals are Riyadh's countless small Pakistani/Indian restaurants, which can fill you up with curry and rice for about SR11. Fast food places abound in Riyadh's shopping malls, with a full meal with drink averaging around SR20. If you want something other than the usual hamburgers and kebabs, Pizza Hut offers a pretty good salad buffet. With alcohol and nightclubs banned, Riyadh's nightlife is infamously non-existent.
Safety Information
Safety Overview
Riyadh is more conservative than Jeddah or the Eastern Province. Women mostly cover themselves with an abaya (available in shops everywhere in Riyadh) but covering the face has become less common as of 2018. Read, understand and follow the guidelines in the Saudi Arabia article to stay out of trouble. LGBT rights are not recognized in the kingdom and public displays of affection, (For both LGBT and straight couples) are frowned on and might lead to criminal prosecutions. In 2002-2004, Riyadh was the site of numerous terrorist attacks on Westerners, including shootings, car bombings and kidnappings, culminating in the May 12, 2003 compound bombings that killed 35 and injured over 160. In response, Saudi security forces cracked down brutally, and there have been no terrorist attacks in Riyadh since 2004. Security remains very tight though, particularly at housing compounds for foreigners, and police and army units, often heavily armed, are a common sight in the city.
Glimpses of Riyadh
a city at night
architectural photography of concrete establishment
kingdom tower
a view of a city from the top of a building
Creativity
A foggy morning view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Office building, black and white
silhouette of trees and building during sunset
Edge of the World
bird's eye photography of city
a city at night
architectural photography of concrete establishment
kingdom tower