At last, we received our visa for Saudi Arabia in Ethiopia and were on the next plane to Jeddah.

This is our experience of Saudi Arabia before tourists could travel here.

Flying to Saudi Arabia

The screen showing gates for flights departing at Addis Ababa flicks and our gate for the flight to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia finally appears. We walk towards it.

It’s after 2 am and the airport is fairly empty, only a few flights remain before the masses of people arrive for the early morning flights.  We arrived at the gate and were immediately approached by the airport staff, we clearly must have the wrong gate.

The surprise on his face when we reconfirmed our destination is obvious. A visit to Saudi Arabia is not a common thing on everyone’s bucket list.

There are not many western female travellers boarding a flight to Saudi Arabia. In fact, there are none.

We are being watched. There are only two types of people at this gate.  Saudi middle-aged men dressed in their traditional clothes, returning home, most likely after a business trip.

The other is a group of mostly young Ethiopian women, dressed in their colourful dresses heading to Saudi Arabia for work. The one thing I notice is how serious they all look, not a smudge of the joy and the zest of life we’ve experienced in the past two weeks in Ethiopia when interacting with women in this beautiful country.

I have read many articles about the working conditions in Saudi Arabia and the alleged abuse so my mind keeps wondering what awaits them in Saudi.

Onboard and on our way to Saudi Arabia

The flight is ready to board and both groups are asked to line up in separate lines. It’s clear the division starts before we even get to Saudi Arabia. Somehow we are asked to stand with the men, as the staff is unsure what to do with us as we are still in Ethiopia.  

Ethiopia is a country where men and women sit together for hours during their morning coffee ceremony. It’s also a place where half of the government is female.

We are both wearing an abaya, the traditional dress required by all women in Saudi Arabia. We certainly attract some attention.  The women look at us puzzled and the airport staff seems to be baffled by this too.

We board the plane. But first, we get patted down by the plane staff and our bags get checked again.

Food is being served. Of course, there is no alcohol available on this flight and prayer sounds before the take-off. I try to watch a TV episode while the food is served and another difference becomes obvious.

Any naughty scenes have simply been cut out of the movies and I am amazed to watch an episode of Friends, where Jennifer Aniston’s fitted t-shirt also didn’t pass the benchmarks and two blurry circles were placed over her chest.

Arriving in Saudi Arabia

We land in Jeddah and we both wrap our scarves around our heads to cover our hair. We do look ridiculous. Wearing trekking shoes, black abaya, green scarf and a 40L carry-on backpack on our backs with a small backpack in the front, we are a rare sight.

Surprisingly, going through a passport check is very straightforward, with no questions asked.  Of course, the lines are separated for men or women and family only. I guess once you’re lucky enough to get a visa for Saudi, you are good to go.

We are picked up by a friend and ready to nap. It’s been a long night. The temperature is in the high 30’s and it’s only 6 am.

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First views of Jeddah

We drive through Jeddah to our hotel and we are both stuck to the window. You don’t get to see Saudi Arabia every day. One thing is clear immediately: everyone drives here, everywhere.

There are no pedestrians, which makes the fact that women were only just allowed to drive for the first time this year, resonate with us even more.

We check into our room and for a second you could be anywhere else in the world. But there are a couple of things missing.  There are no miniature alcohol bottles in our hotel fridge. Alcohol is strictly forbidden.  

The list of programs on the TV is of course mainly in Arabic and seems to be more focused on religious events and of course, there is the live stream from Mecca.

Also, there is no bible in the top drawer as any other religious material is also banned.

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Sightseeing during our visit to Saudi Arabia

After a quick nap, we decided to venture out for lunch and see the famous Corniche, a walkway along the seaside. It’s deserted and after a few photos, we decide on lunch in a nearby café. We find the café, but the main door is an entrance for men only.

So we walked around the corner to find the family entrance.

Upon entering, we are greeted by friendly staff and seated. It’s interesting to see that some women wear a veil even in the family section, but then the staff is all men, and they’re mostly from the Philippines.

The menu features only Western dishes, which is disappointing for us, but eventually, we order burgers. We sit back and observe.

Friday in Saudi Arabia with friends

Our evening is spent with friends of a friend. This is when we truly get the insight we have been looking for. We head to the old town of Jeddah just before prayer time and walk the tiny alleyways; we try sugar cane juice and listen to the call for prayer as our friends duck into the mosque to pray.

At that moment, our visit to Saudi Arabia reminds us of our travels to Oman or Bahrain.

After travelling the world, one thing is clear. There are 50 shades of Islam, and the followers of the same religion practice it in different forms across the world. They pray, eat and behave differently.

If there are 50 shades of Islam then black would be the colour for Saudi Arabia. Here, the teaching of Islam is observed in the strictest form.

After prayer, we drive across Jeddah, a city that combines old rickety buildings in the Old Town, with somewhat dusty-looking buildings of the ’90s and the shiny new modern structures you see across Dubai.

Inside a Saudi home and shopping malls

We arrive at our friend’s house, and it’s a real honour to be welcomed into their home. They are eager to chat about our travels as we sip coffee. At some point, we’re encouraged to take off our abaya and make ourselves comfortable.  

We have to admit to them that we are not wearing any underlayers. Because it was so hot outside when we went for walk earlier, we figured fewer layers would be better to stay cool. Of course, this causes laughter and confusion as women wear abayas as an overcoat!

We didn’t get this memo, and it’s hot out there, so naturally, we wear it as a dress. We decide to head out again – shopping mall and dinner.

The shopping mall is huge, and everyone from Jeddah is there. There is plenty of bling going around and if it wasn’t for the local attire you could be anywhere in the world.

We tried a new type of coffee called Arabica coffee, it’s a yellow colour and has a butter-like texture. We leave the mall, and we’re ready to eat.

Eating out in Saudi Arabia

We asked our friends to take us for a traditional meal, and they decided on a place that makes the best manti – slow-cooked lamb served on a platter covered with rice. It’s so delicious.

We are seated in the family section, and we are closed in a small box for privacy. It has walls and a door, and the waiter comes in and out.

When I think of the social way of eating in Europe, where squares are turned into outdoor seating with music and ambience and people watching is the trend, this sure seems to be a different way to enjoy a meal. We chat more about travels, and our friends rave about how much they loved Prague, Paris and other parts of Europe.

The dinner is over, but our friends have one more suggestion – shisha and music! Hello, is this for real? Live music is not something we expected from our visit to Saudi Arabia! We drive to a nearby place, and here it is! There is live music! We order shisha and some tea and hang out.

More friends join us, the women are exceptionally dressed, and they are not wearing headscarves as it’s not compulsory. They all seemed to be super proud that this is now a Saturday night for young Saudis.

We snack on dates and talk more about this country and, of course about our travels.

Time to leave Saudi Arabia

It’s now after 1 am and we have had two hours of sleep so we are ready to call it night. We are dropped off at our hotel and it really feels odd to say goodbye to our friend with just a handshake as he is a male. It would be unacceptable for us to hug on the streets.

Our visit to Saudi Arabia was an eye-opening experience. It is a country that is certainly different from anywhere else we have been on our trip to visit every country in the world.

Getting a visa wasn’t easy either. But once we’ve arrived, the people we met have once again proven that people are all the same; and that people, in general, are good. The government and its actions seldom reflect its people.

We would have loved to stay longer, but perhaps if the visa policy changes, we might one day return. And by then, we really hope Saudi Arabia will abolish their controversial guardian law.

At least then, all our sisters in Saudi can be a step closer to the rights of women in the Western world.

Update 2020: Evisa for tourists is now available for anyone planning a visit to Saudi Arabia. They even launched a Saudi Arabia Tourism website.

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If you enjoyed reading about our visit to Saudi Arabia, you may enjoy this post about our lunch inside an Afghan home with women of Afghanistan or one of our favourite travel memories – Enjoying lunch with locals in the fields of Tajikistan.

If you’re travelling in this part of the world, I recommend you visit Oman. What a surprising country!

Our Perfect 7 Day Road Trip Itinerary in Oman is all you need to have an amazing time. If you’re not convinced, these 10 reasons why you should visit Oman will do it.

Travel Tips for Asia

We have many travel guides and tips for Asia— a fascinating continent!

Delicious cuisine can be enjoyed across Asia, and our food map of Asia will inspire your food journey.

These top 5 best street foods in Asia are unmissable! We explain Central Asian food, including seven popular foods in this region.

Our Southeast Asia packing list will be helpful if you’re travelling here.

Furthermore, if you plan to travel long-term (or at least until the money runs out), these 21 cheapest countries to visit will help you make your hard-earned dollars stretch a bit further.

Not surprisingly, our top 10 best countries for food lovers include a few Asian countries.

You’ll need to stay connected while travelling in Asia. We recommend eSIM. It’s easy, reliable and affordable. View eSIMs for individual Asian countries, or consider a regional eSIM for Asia (which covers 18 countries).

If your travels in Asia are part of a much larger global adventure, then a Global eSIM may be the answer. It connects you in 124 countries, offering data-only eSIM and data/call/text eSIM. The Global eSIM has been a game-changer; we couldn’t imagine travelling without it now.

If you want to travel with like-minded travellers, consider joining a group tour. Check out our Group Tours first for any upcoming departures in Asia, or view Tourradar for great deals on tours in Asia.

Check out our best-ever travel tips compiled from more than twenty years of experience.