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The Complexities of Traveling to Saudi Arabia

By Felicia Campbell

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As the largest country in the Middle East , the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has a rich and diverse landscape: It’s home to the ruins of the Nabatean Kingdom in Al-'Ula, the Rub' al Khali desert, luxurious beach resorts in Jeddah , and the mountains of Taif, where roses bloom alongside groves of the most sought-after dates in the world. The capital, Riyadh, offers a fascinating juxtaposition of ancient souks and modern skyscrapers, along with natural wonders like the cliffs of Edge of the World park just outside the city.

Historically, however, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia hasn’t been a tourist destination for Americans.

Until 2019, visas were only issued for official business purposes or for religious pilgrimages to Mecca . Conservative laws and dress codes were enforced by the mutawa (religious police) who made arrests for playing music, wearing too much makeup, or being seen in public with a member of the opposite sex. These laws began to change in 2017 when Mohamed bin Salman became the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia and launched Saudi Vision 2030 , a campaign to modernize the country and reduce the reliance on oil revenue. He stripped the power of the mutawa, and women were issued drivers' licenses for the first time. Additionally, movie theaters were built, international music festivals held, and tourist visas became available to visitors from 49 countries, including Americans.

These changes make it an exciting time in the Kingdom, with young Saudis enjoying newfound freedoms to connect with one another and with foreign visitors in public spaces that were for so long segregated. Around the world, social media feeds are being filled with images of this “new Saudi Arabia” as part of a massive marketing campaign by the Ministry of Tourism—it's just part of their plan to invest at least $800 billion by 2030 on everything from transportation infrastructure to entirely new cities.

Despite the intrigue of the newly opened country, there are also many things that haven’t changed and should be considered before booking a flight: significant gender disparity remains, alcohol is still illegal, and queer travelers will find a litany of laws that prevent them from existing as they would at home or, in some cases, at all—so-called “decency mandates” prevent men from wearing women's clothes for example, and trans travelers whose passports don't match their gender identity will likely be denied entry to the country. Even in situations where it might feel like no one is enforcing these rules, know that the government routinely monitors visitors' social media accounts, and compliance is expected for the entirety of your trip.

For some Americans, the cultural clashes feel too great to overcome. “Saudi Arabia is a controversial country to visit, and poses a real dilemma for many travelers,” says Justin Francis, co-founder and CEO of Responsible Travel. For Francis, however, that isn't necessarily a reason not to visit. “I strongly believe it is possible to travel responsibly in destinations with poor ethical records. Frankly, it would be hard to name a single destination with a clean record on the environment, animal welfare, and human rights.”

Anu Taranath, professor, racial equity consultant, and author of Beyond Guilt Trips: Mindful Travel in an Unequal World , also encourages people to look at their travel decisions from a wider perspective. “Well-meaning Americans become quite vexed when considering going to places where they know a bit about what’s happening to a certain population, but that same conversation, I haven’t seen about home,” says Taranath. “The U.S. has a terrible record of preserving the dignity of Black folks, so would we tell people not to visit? It’s a conversation that never seems to come up.”

She suggests that tourists can use their trips, instead, as opportunities to widen their own perspectives about the world. “It’s an incredible privilege,” she says. “My responsibility is to move through these places with care and grace and learn about lives that are not like mine."

Darrell Wade, co-founder and chair of travel group Intrepid, visited the Kingdom last year, and while he doesn’t feel the country is ready in terms of infrastructure for the brand's organized trips, he would personally return and thinks that the opening of tourism is a good thing for locals and visitors. “I think travel is always a positive force for change," says Wade. “As travelers, we learn about new cultures and ways, whilst the hosts of our destination countries also get to meet new people and learn from them.”

Booking a trip to a country whose laws and values may not align with your own is a personal decision. For those considering a visit to Saudi Arabia, these are some of the key issues American travelers may wonder about, with logistical pointers to keep in mind on the trip itself.

Nada al Nahdi  of Qairawan travel group in Jazan

Women's rights and modesty 

As part of the effort to introduce a more moderate version of Islamic law, in 2018 women were granted the right to drive, have a passport , travel abroad, live independently without the permission of a male guardian, and, most visibly, they are no longer required to cover their hair with hijab, nor wear the abaya robe or the niqab full face covering. Yet there are still some modesty requirements. It's important to note that most restrictions impact local women more than they do visitors, but travelers are still expected to abide by most laws.

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Modesty is legally defined and required for locals and visitors, and what’s considered appropriate often depends on the venue. Some Saudi women in larger cities still wear an abaya, but many forgo any kind of head cover. Similar to religious sites throughout the world, there are expectations when entering a mosque: both men and women must be covered to the ankles and wrists and shoe-less, and women should cover their hair.

In general, women should wear loose-fitting clothes that don't show skin above the knee or elbow, and men shouldn’t go shirtless or wear tank tops. Shorts are uncommon across the board. 

Wearing clothing considered too revealing or anything that features offensive logos or slogans can result in a fine of 100 SAR/$26 (doubled for subsequent violations). What’s considered offensive isn’t limited to showing too much skin, pornographic images, or drug-related or profane slogans, it is also illegal to try to promote a religion other than Islam. That means wearing a crucifix or any other religious iconography should be avoided.

Olga Aymerich, a research officer for the United Nations in Iraq, was among the first to travel to the Kingdom when tourist visas became available in 2019. She says she observed that the way women dressed varied widely, even between neighborhoods of large cities like Jeddah and Riyadh, so she wore an abaya over her clothes, either open or closed, to avoid standing out. “I just felt more comfortable that way,” she says, adding that she didn’t cover her hair except when visiting religious sites.

Ellie Quinn detailed her time in the Kingdom on her blog, The Traveling Quinn , where she suggests female travelers purchase a robe-like abaya online ahead of time or at any mall upon arrival—good quality, black abayas made with a breathable material are generally available for around $25 (100 SAR), though you'll also find colorful and patterned options.

At gender-segregated public beaches, women swim in burkinis (which look like wetsuits) or in their abayas, and men keep their shirts on. However, at a growing number of private beaches, guests can wear bikinis and swim trunks. It’s a good idea to call ahead to find out what the specific dress codes are as some beaches in Jeddah, at the other end of the spectrum, do not allow abayas. 

Gender segregation

Today, unrelated men and women can legally interact with one another in some some public spaces, like malls and coffee shops—yet there are still gendered spaces, from female-only gyms to restaurants in smaller villages that have separate entrances and dining rooms for families and men.

Even at the Ritz-Carlton Riyadh, where Wade recently stayed with his wife, the duo learned that the swimming pool and spa were for men only. “When I asked if there were special hours for women, or another complex somewhere, I just got a ‘Sorry, there are no facilities for women’,” Wade says. He hopes—and expects—that this will change with the greater arrival of international tourism.

As public interactions between men and women are slowly becoming normalized, physical affection between couples still needs to be kept strictly behind closed doors. That means avoiding touching of any kind between opposite genders when in public. Holding hands, kissing, or hugging in public are considered “acts of a sexual nature,” and could incur a 3,000 SAR fine (about $800) for the first offense and a 6,000 SAR for a repeat offense. It is one of 19 public decency offenses punishable by fine , along with things like failure to pick up after your pet (100 SAR/$26) and littering or spitting (500 SAR/ $133). 

When meeting someone of the opposite gender, it is customary to place a hand to heart, rather than extending it for a handshake. Conversely, those of the same gender will often greet one another with a hug or a kiss on each cheek. In Bedouin tradition, some men touch noses. Visitors should follow the lead of the local.

Travelers in the Saudi Arabian desert

LGBTQ+ issues

In Saudi Arabia, same-sex marriage is not recognized and homosexual acts are punishable by law, as are any activities seen as disrupting public order and religious values. Social media posts depicting a homosexual relationship can be prosecuted as a cybercrime—making it especially important that queer travelers who decide to visit set profiles to private before arriving. 

Some may question why LGBTQ+ visitors would want to visit any of the 69 U.N. member countries that criminalize homosexuality at all. Stefan Arestis and Sebastien Chaneac, who run the travel blog The Nomadic Boys to help inspire and inform gay travelers , have traveled to many of them, including Singapore , Malaysia, and Dubai. The couple have yet to visit the Kingdom, and whether or not to go is a topic of debate between them.

“It’s easy to have an attitude of ‘OMG, I would never dare go to a place that wants to throw me in jail, better to boycott them and spend my hard-earned dollars in a place that welcomes me’," says Arestis. “This way of thinking risks doing more harm than good. It’s more productive to get out there and support the local LGBTQ community ."

Meanwhile, Chaneac isn't convinced it's safe for them to do so. “The opening of tourism is a great thing, because with more tourism, there will be more LGBTQ+ visibility, and that could start to change things," says Chaneac. "But when you’re a gay person, you have to think of other things, like whether the law is on your side.”

Arestis notes that in most places that criminalize homosexuality like Dubai, travelers benefit from a double standard and are rarely penalized for violating local law—but Saudi Arabia is different and the penalties are known for being much more severe and should be taken at face value. “We suggest going back in the closet,” says Arestis. 

Parvez Sharma, a gay Indian-American filmmaker who traveled to Saudi Arabia to complete the hajj, an experience he chronicled in the 2015 documentary A Sinner in Mecca, feels this pilgrimage is a beautiful and essential activity for Muslims like himself, but sees that as separate from general tourism.

“People save their entire lives to make the pilgrimage—for Muslims, we have to disregard our feelings [about the Saudi government] and focus on the religious aspects of the journey," Sharma says. He says he wouldn't visit if he didn't have the religious obligation. 

According to the private, conservative societal norms, no one will ask about sexual orientation. “There is a thriving gay scene, very underground, and it would be fascinating to see," says Arestis. "If you are not a public figure online, then there is nothing stopping you from going. You just have to be careful and set your social media as private, and perhaps have a rehearsed girlfriend in case it comes up. But people need to understand that if something happens, if they have an interaction, if they are caught meeting or kissing [someone of the same gender], there is no one to protect them.”

Journalism, photography, and freedom of speech

Put simply, Saudi Arabia is a monarchy, where democratic principles of freedom of press and speech do not apply. According to Reporters Without Borders, a group that advocates for press freedom around the world, over 30 editors, writers, and photographers are currently imprisoned for statements in articles, photographs, and even social media posts that were seen as critical of the government. American intelligence agencies have concluded that the government of Saudi Arabi orchestrated the murder of U.S.-based Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a notable dissident of the regime.

While tourists will not likely be writing critical op-eds while in the Kingdom, it is important to note that it is illegal to criticize the government, the royal family, or the Muslim faith in any way, either verbally or on social media. Politics, religion, and sex should not be discussed in a public setting or online, and cursing at someone or using foul language is a fine-able offense, as is using rude gestures.

“It's important to remember you’re a guest,” says Francis. “You’ve chosen to visit, so [you have to] play by the rules of your host country. It’s natural to want to ask questions, but you won’t be helping local people by interrogating them—free speech doesn’t exist here, and you could put them in a very difficult position.”

The most common offense that visitors are cited for in the Kingdom is unauthorized photography : Photographing a person (especially a woman) without permission or taking photos of an accident or crime is illegal and can result in a hefty fine (1,000 SAR/ $266). It is important to be particularly cautious in crowded areas like traditional markets, where it is easy to inadvertently take a photo of someone.

An ancient city in Al Jouf, Saudi Arabia

Other things to keep in mind when planning a trip to Saudi Arabia

Restrictions for non-Muslim visitors

Mecca is the one city that remains off-limits to non-Muslim tourists. Mecca and Medina are the two holiest cities for Muslims who visit for the Umrah and Hajj pilgrimages. The latter is obligatory for every Muslim who is financially and physically able to make the trip, so roughly 2 million pilgrims travel to Mecca for the Hajj each year, and these visits require a religious visa.

For other travelers interested in visiting a religious site, Jeddah is a better option, as it is home to the only four mosques in the country that allow non-Muslim visitors to enter: Al Taqwa Mosque, the Al Rahma Mosque on the Red Sea, Moroccan-style King Fahd Mosque, and the King Saud Mosque, a nearly 10,000 square meter structure designed by Egyptian architect Abdel Wahed Al Wakil, who is considered the most prominent living authority on modern Islamic architecture.

Prayer timing and Ramadan

Throughout Saudi Arabia, some shops and restaurants will close for 15 to 30 minutes during the five prayer times each day though the latest laws do allow many to stay open at this time. Prayer times change throughout the year according to sunrise and sunset, so check the daily prayer times online or in the local newspaper and plan around them. Playing music during prayers, even in the car or home, is illegal.

It is best to avoid visiting during Ramadan when it is forbidden to eat, drink, or smoke in public from sunrise to sunset. Many shops and restaurants close during the day or operate on shortened schedules, and some tourist attractions shutter for the month. The dates of Ramadan are based on the lunar calendar and change each year.

Nightlife has a different meaning in Saudi Arabia, as alcohol is illegal. The cities come alive after dark, and many coffee shops, shisha patios, and dessert cafes are open until 2 a.m. or later. Families walk the corniche or have evening picnics in the parks, and malls bustle with activity. Restaurants are generally open late to accommodate the lifestyle.

Tour guides

The best way to enjoy the history, culture and natural beauty of Saudi Arabia is to come prepared with a good understanding of the local laws and customs and a willingness to abide by them—a local guide can help you do that, particularly if you don't speak Arabic, and most hotels can provide recommendations of people for hire. Aymerich suggests hiring a new guide in each destination to make sure you’re getting the benefit of hyper-local insights and so you don’t get stuck with someone you’re not happy with for the entirety of your trip. Guides can also arrange for transportation if you want to get out of the city to explore more far flung locations.

To help single female travelers navigate Saudi Arabia, Nada al Nahdi , a Yemeni-Indonesian female traveler and blogger, who was born and raised in the Kingdom, and local Esraa Rayes organize female group travel throughout the country via their company, Qairawan . 

Due to the pandemic, there are no more visas issued on arrival, but e-visas are quickly approved for American travelers. The online application includes the option to purchase mandatory insurance for 140 SAR/$37 and pay the visa fee of 300 SAR/ $80. The e-visa typically is emailed within minutes and is valid for one-year with multiple entries and stays of up to 90-days at a time. ( Proof of vaccination and a negative PCR test, taken no more than 72-hours prior to traveling to the Kingdom, are also required as of January 2021.)

“The visa process was so easy, but that was the only thing that was well organized,” Aymerich said, adding that visitors should be prepared to be amenable to changes in their itineraries once they're in the country. “You need to be flexible, willing to ask people for advice, and a little bit lucky. If you are looking for an easy trip, this isn’t it—but if you’re ready for an adventure, to experience new things, there is so much to see in Saudi Arabia, and the people are wonderful and excited to share their culture.”

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Here’s What You Need to Know Before Visiting Saudi Arabia

For the first time in its history, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia announced that will be opening its doors for tourism by issuing an electronic visa for visitors coming from 49 countries — including the United States.

Anyone over the age of 18 can apply for an eVisa . It costs approximately $120 and is valid for a period of one year with an option for multiple entry, and permits a maximum stay of 90 days in the country. Previously, the Kingdom issued only visitor visas for religious pilgrimage and business visas. This monumental announcement is part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s reform program, Vision 2030 , which aims to reduce the country’s reliance on oil and diversify its economy by way of tourism and entertainment.

Over the past two years, the government has also announced the launch of several ambitious projects, including an entertainment mega-city in Riyadh (reportedly, twice the size of Orlando’s Disney World ), a futuristic beach destination along the coast of the Red Sea, and restoration of UNESCO World Heritage sites. By 2030, the government expects 100 million annual visits, increased foreign and domestic investment in hotels and associated amenities, the creation of million jobs, and an increase in tourism revenue from the current 3% to 10% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product, according to Reuters.

To attract Western tourists and market itself as a tourist destination — on par with neighboring Gulf states— Saudi Arabia has eased some of its conservative restrictions, like granting women rights to drive and travel without a guardian, curbing the powers of the moral police, permitting unmarried tourist couples to rent hotel rooms, and relaxing dress codes.

Within the first 10 days of the introduction of the eVisa 24,000 visitors entered the Kingdom, according to Arab News . Although there is a lack of adequate tourism infrastructure, those curious to learn about and experience the country will find Saudi’s natural landscape and its welcoming locals incentive enough to visit.

If you find yourself heading to Saudi Arabia to explore the land uncharted to tourists, here are a few basic and cultural tips for first-time travelers to the Kingdom.

With this news, people are asking: Is Saudi Arabia Safe for tourists? Yes, Saudi Arabia is safe for tourists. As with travel to any other country in the world, be respectful of local rules and customs, be mindful of your surroundings, and carry out due diligence before traveling. Be sure to consult travel advisories before your trip.

Public spaces

Public spaces may be segregated, and you will find separate entrances or seating areas for men and women. Refrain from public displays of affection.

Seek permission before photographing locals. Under the public code of conduct , it is a punishable offense. Other offenses include vandalism of public property, playing music during prayer times, and dress code violations.

Female tourists are not required to wear the abaya (a cloak, previously mandated by the government). However, both men and women should dress modestly, avoiding tight fitting and revealing clothes in public. The official Visit Saudi tourism website provides further details on what this entails.

Stores and restaurants close during prayer times, five times a day. To make the most of your trip, plan your itinerary according to these times.

Saudi Arabia is a Muslim country. While non-Muslims are welcome and permitted to practice their religion in private spaces, preaching in public forums or on social media platforms is prohibited. Malicious propaganda against the country, government, and religion is a severe offense.

The sale, purchase or consumption of alcohol and drugs is illegal in the country.

Social customs

You will find locals to be hospitable, generous, and as equally curious about you as you may be about them. It is not uncommon to be invited to share a meal or a cup of gahwa (Arabic coffee) and dates. Your hosts — and even strangers — will want to extend their welcome and offer a token of their hospitality, like food or even a small gift. It is considered rude to refuse such an offering. Just remember, always accept and consume food and beverages with your right hand.

If you are invited into a Saudi house, remove your shoes, unless your host insists you keep them on. In a traditional Majlis, (a sitting hall with floor cushions) you are expected to sit on the floor. If hosted elsewhere, you can expect a modern setup with armchairs and other furniture.

Saudis encourage and welcome Westerners asking questions about their culture. To avoid offending local sensibilities, it's best to steer clear of political or religious topics of conversation.

Familiarizing yourself with Saudi rituals like greetings and handshakes will always make a favorable impression with your hosts. “Marhaban!” (Welcome) is a common way of greeting and you may respond with “Marhabtain” (I give you two welcomes).

Men shouldn’t extend a handshake to a Saudi woman, unless she does so first. To err on the side of caution, place your hand over your heart and greet with a hello.

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‘Wild, beautiful, untrodden:’ The epic hiking trails emerging in Saudi Arabia

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Ben Hoffler always sleeps out in the open when he is hiking in the desert and describes it as “one of the great pleasures of being out on the trails, sleeping under the big, starry desert skies with the breeze on your face.”

“It’s very liberating, it opens your mind,” says Hoffler, a hiking consultant who is helping to develop new trails in Saudi Arabia.

“It really makes you dream and it’s the best sleep I’ve ever had. I sleep better in the desert than anywhere else in the world.”

But one night in the vast Hisma desert in northwest Saudi he says he had bedded down in a wadi, a dried-up riverbed , when he awoke to a lot of “hustle and bustle” nearby.

Dozing off again, he opened his eyes in the morning to the sight of four camels snuggled around him.

Rising quietly, he saw six more and then realized a herd of 20 camels had descended into the wadi to sleep.

“I guess they felt safe sleeping next to a human being in the desert,” he says.

Hoffler has spent 15 years developing trails in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula and Jordan and is now working with local guides, including Bedouin scouts, to develop Saudi’s ancient ways for local and international hikers.

And he insists the notion of Saudi Arabia as just sand, desert and heat is just a mirage.

“Saudi Arabia is absolutely vast in scale, that is the first thing that strikes me,” he says.

Year-round destination

“It’s also incredibly diverse, you get everything from jet black volcanic lava fields to red sandstone deserts like you might see in Wadi Rum (in Jordan), to high granite ranges like you’d see in the Sinai (in Egypt), to green forested rolling mountains in the south.

“The natural beauty of it is extraordinary, it’s one of the most visually spectacular places, if not the most spectacular, that I have ever seen in the Middle East.

“Saudi Arabia feels very wild, very beautiful, it feels untrodden, perhaps more than other destinations it feels new.”

Hiking is a new but increasingly popular weekend pastime for some Saudi city dwellers from the west coast or the capital Riyadh, with a number of accessible short walks.

About an hour’s drive from the capital, hikers can easily reach the sandstone escarpment of the Tuwaiq Mountains where there are numerous clifftop viewpoints, including one dubbed “Edge of the World.”

Al Wahbah, a four-hour drive northeast of Jeddah, is a volcanic crater 250 meters (820 feet) deep and about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) across on the western edge of a barren plateau. It’s about a 45-minute walk from the rim down to the white center, which is composed of sodium phosphate crystals.

Wadi Al Disah is a green, spring-fed valley, known as “valley of the palm trees,” surrounded by towering sandstone cliffs in the mountains of southwest Tabuk province noted for its serene atmosphere, rock carvings and remains of ancient fortresses.

Another well-known but less-travelled hike is to Jabal Abyad, which means White Mountain in Arabic, named for its ash coating. Jabal Abyad is Saudi’s tallest volcano at 2,093 meters (6,867 feet), situated in the huge Harrat Khaybar lava field north of Medina. The mountains outside Mecca and Taif, such as Al Hada, also offer hiking trails.

But while there are standard tourist trails available, with licensed guides and tour companies, the infrastructure and breadth of trails is “embryonic,” according to Hoffler, although “the potential is there” to develop Saudi Arabia into “one of the most outstanding hiking destinations in the world.”

And with cooler temperatures in the highlands, it makes for a year-round destination.

“That’s what we’re working on for the next couple of years, proper trails for tourists from outside Saudi to come and experience the scenery and nature that Saudi offers,” says Yasmin Gahtani, a rock-climbing instructor and managing director of the Saudi Climbing and Hiking Federation (SCHF), whose role is to promote healthy activity, tourism and competitive sport.

“It still needs to be more properly developed for people to go independently. There are still no guidebooks, it’s all word of mouth or through hiking guides, of both genders, to take people out. The country is safe, of course, but you’ll have a better experience if you have a map of the trails, and we’re still not there.”

Hoffler is based in the Hejaz mountains – which he says is “one of the most fabled ranges of Arabia” – the long chain that runs from midway up the Red Sea coast north to the Gulf of Aqaba and Jordan. The highest point is Jabal Al-Lawz in the far north at more than 2,500 meters above sea level and one of the only places in Saudi Arabia to receive regular snowfall.

“When I’m up on the high peaks of the Hejaz you can look out over the Red Sea and on a clear day you can see the high jagged peaks of the Sinai and on a very clear day you can even see the highlands of Africa, which is absolutely spectacular,” says Hoffler.

The mountains inland of Umluj in the northwest Tabuk region offer another unique landscape to explore, says Hoffler, made up of cinder cones (conical hills of volcanic material), lava fields, known as harrat in Arabic, and huge, gaping lava tubes “big enough to drive a bus into.”

The Briton also regularly adventures out into the huge Hisma desert, made up of red sand and huge sandstone rock formations, which stretches up into Jordan where it encompasses Wadi Rum.

“All of these landscapes are criss-crossed by paths that are very old, some hundreds, some many thousands of years old, passed down between different peoples and different generations,” he says.

The issue in the Saudi Hisma desert, he says, is that “drift” of the semi-nomadic Bedouin population to the towns means many paths have fallen into disuse.

“What we typically find is those paths are in quite a poor state of preservation, it’s like an archaeology of walking,” he says.

When he does meet Bedouin on the trails, Hoffler says he’s “only had the best experiences with them.”

“The Bedouin are famous around the world for their hospitality, and they offer a space that feels like a refuge wherever you are in the desert,” he says. “They’ll always make sure you’re well fed and have a cup of tea in your hand and have everything you need before you move on.”

‘Magical place’

Further south below Jeddah, the Sarawat mountain range stretches down to the southwest Asir region, which is home to Saudi’s highest mountain tops, including Jabal Sawda and Jabal Ferwa’, both more than 3,000 meters (9,840 feet) high. Al Soudah is a tourist hub with a cable car to the top of Jabal Sawda with government plans to develop a luxury destination with boutique hotels known as Soudah Peaks as part of Vision 2030.

It’s another area rich in potential for hiking and camping. It’s also where Saudi-Lebanese mountaineer Nelly Attar trains, including for both her ascent of Everest in 2019 and her record-setting feat when she claimed the title as the first Arab woman to climb K2, the world’s second-highest mountain, in 2022.

There are two wet seasons: one between February and April and another between July and August and temperatures rarely reach the soaring heights of the coast.

“Lower down you see a lot of juniper trees, lots of lush vegetation, cacti, fruits, animals,” she told CNN. “There’s some areas that look like you’re on Kilimanjaro and they look quite tropical.

“We see baboons here a lot of the times. It’s magical. I come to train, but I actually leave feeling at peace and feeling so calm because there’s no one else on the trail.

“I didn’t think I’d find a gem like this in the GCC [Gulf countries]. People perceive Saudi to be mainly a desert, but there’s so many diverse landscapes.  I’ve been living here most of my life and I have not seen most of what Saudi can offer, and I’m so excited for this country to open up.”

The capital of Asir is Abha, the popular hilltop city at about 2,270 meters (7,450 feet) high, known for its mild climate, fortresses and mountain access and views. It is serviced by Abha international airport.

About 120 kilometers north of Abha lies the town of Tanomah, often shrouded in fog but popular for its waterfalls, juniper and pine forests and outdoor pursuits in Al Sharaf park.

“Tanomah has beautiful rock for climbing and beautiful trails to hike,” says Gahtani.

“I love this place. It’s very magical, I don’t know why, I can’t explain it, but it has this really nice energy and everyone who goes there feels the same way. It is surrounded by cliffs of rocks so you feel like you’re very disconnected from the world which is lovely.”

She adds: “Hiking in Saudi Arabia is very virgin, there are so many untouched locations and it’s very serene.”

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Saudi Arabia will host the women's tennis WTA Finals for the next three years

Saudi Arabia will host the WTA Finals as part of a three-year deal with the women’s professional tennis tour that will increase the prize money for this November’s season-ending championship to a record $15.25 million

Saudi Arabia will host the WTA Finals as part of a three-year deal announced Thursday by the women’s professional tennis tour that will increase the prize money for this November’s season-ending championship to a record $15.25 million, a 70% increase from 2023.

The event for the top eight singles players and top eight doubles teams will be held in Riyadh from 2024-26, part of a recent wave of investment by the kingdom in tennis and various sports, despite questions about LGBTQ+ and women’s rights there raised by Hall of Famers Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova and others.

“We’re going into this eyes wide open that the investment in sport by Saudi certainly provokes strong views from people,” WTA Tour Chairman and CEO Steve Simon told The Associated Press. “We’ve met with Chris and Martina and listened to their concerns and we have shared their concerns through our stakeholders as well, without prejudice. We’ve also shared the concerns around women’s rights and LGBTQ+ rights within the Kingdom of Saudi. Our focus is on how we develop women’s tennis for the benefit of everybody involved in the game. The reality of it is ... we are truly a global tour, a global business. We have players from over 90 nations now. We have over 90 events. ... We participate in many countries that have different cultures and values systems across the board.”

As for any concerns about Saudi Arabia that current players might have, Simon said: “We don’t plan to do any persuading. The players need to make their own choices, and we do believe that everyone who qualifies is going to want to play.”

Locations in Europe, North America and Asia also were considered as possible new sites for the WTA Finals, which have moved around to five cities over the past five editions after a deal to put the tournament in Shenzhen, China, through 2030 was disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic and concerns over the safety of retired Grand Slam doubles champion Peng Shuai, who accused a Chinese government official of rape.

The cities that hosted in 2022 (Fort Worth, Texas) and 2023 (Cancun, Mexico) were not revealed until September each year, and last November’s event was strongly criticized by players. Four-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek beat Jessica Pegula in last year's title match; U.S. Open champ Coco Gauff and Australian Open winner Aryna Sabalenka were among the other participants.

Simon said Riyadh was selected by the WTA in late December, but the details of the agreement were just completed.

“This partnership will build on our exposure to a market and a region whose impact on the sports industry is certainly growing rapidly,” Simon said. “We certainly expect that you’ll see more events coming there in the future. So at the end, we believe that the WTA should be a part of this development, versus being on the outside.”

Saudi Arabia’s Private Investment Fund (PIF) formed the LIV Golf tour and put money into soccer, for example, and the kingdom’s role in tennis has been rising. The ATP Tour moved its Next Gen Finals for leading 21-and-under players to Jedda in November; the PIF is the title sponsor for the men’s rankings; 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal recently became an ambassador for the Saudi Tennis Federation; he will join 24-time major champ Novak Djokovic and rising stars Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner at an exhibition event in Riyadh in October. There have been discussions about placing a top-tier Masters 1000 tournament in Saudi Arabia, too, part of a possible larger restructuring involving the WTA, ATP and the country.

Rights groups say women continue to face discrimination in most aspects of family life and homosexuality is a major taboo, as it is in much of the rest of the Middle East.

In recent years, Saudi Arabia has enacted wide-ranging social reforms, including granting women the right to drive and largely dismantling male guardianship laws that had allowed husbands and male relatives to control many aspects of women’s lives. Men and women are still required to dress modestly, but the rules have been loosened and the once-feared religious police have been sidelined. Still, same-sex relations are punishable by death or flogging, though prosecutions are rare.

In an opinion piece published in The Washington Post in January, Evert and Navratilova urged the WTA to stay out of Saudi Arabia because, they wrote, staging the Finals there “would represent not progress, but significant regression” and asked whether “staging a Saudi crown-jewel tournament would involve players in an act of sportswashing merely for the sake of a cash influx.”

In response, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United States, Princess Reema bint Bandar Al Saud, said the two former athletes relied on “outdated stereotypes and western-centric views of our culture” and “turned their back on the very same women they have inspired and it is beyond disappointing.”

The ambassador joined the head of the Saudi Tennis Federation and other women in a video conference with current WTA athletes to “speak to the changes that are happening and to what still needs to be done within the region,” Simon said.

The WTA said the Finals prize money will help work to meet the tour’s pledge, made last year, to increase pay and put it in line with what men earn in tennis. The $15.25 million on offer from Nov. 2-9, 2024 — an amount set to increase in 2025 and 2026 — is up from last year’s $9 million and eclipses the event-high $14 million at Shenzhen in 2019.

Howard Fendrich has been the AP’s tennis writer since 2002. Find his stories here: https://apnews.com/author/howard-fendrich.

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

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