Riyadh

Riyadh is the capital and largest city of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, sitting on a high desert plateau in the geographical center of the Arabian Peninsula at roughly 600 meters above sea level. For Georgian travelers it is one of the newest destinations on the map: Saudi Arabia issued its first tourist e-visa only in September 2019, and Georgian passport holders were added to the eligible list shortly after. Before that, the only way in was a business invitation, a Hajj or Umrah permit, or a Saudi work permit, and almost no Georgians visited outside of pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina. Today the e-visa takes about 24 hours to issue, costs around 480 SAR including mandatory health insurance, and gives multiple entries over one year with stays up to 90 days at a time.

What you find on arrival is a city that almost no Western tourist had seen until five years ago, in the middle of the most aggressive urban transformation in the Gulf. Riyadh has grown from a mud-walled oasis town of 14,000 people in 1900 to a metropolis of more than 7 million today, and most of that growth has happened since the oil boom of the 1970s. The result is a city of long boulevards, glass towers, and gated compounds rather than a walkable historic core, with one major exception: the Diriyah district on the northwestern edge, where the original mud-brick settlement of the Al Saud family still stands. Diriyah is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the birthplace of the modern Saudi state in 1727, and the centerpiece of an enormous restoration project that has opened the original At-Turaif quarter to visitors with night lighting, restored palaces, and several museums.

The city itself is organized around a grid of broad highways, with Olaya Street and King Fahd Road running north-south as the main commercial spines. Downtown, near the old Masmak Fortress and Deira Souq, is the historic heart and where the mutawa (religious police) used to patrol most actively; the patrols were effectively ended in 2016 and the area now feels much more relaxed than it did a decade ago. Olaya and Al Sahafa, further north, hold the Kingdom Centre Tower and Al Faisaliah Tower, the two best-known skyscrapers, along with most of the international hotels. Diplomatic Quarter (DQ) is a quiet, leafy zone in the west with embassies, expat-friendly cafes, and weekend walking paths. King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD), in the north, is a half-built city-within-a-city of architectural showpieces designed by Zaha Hadid and HOK.

Why visit from Georgia: the practical reasons are price, novelty, and stopover potential. A flight from Tbilisi via Istanbul or Doha runs from 520 GEL one way, which is competitive with most European city breaks, and Riyadh airport (RUH, King Khalid International) is now a major hub for both Saudia and Riyadh Air, the new national carrier launched in 2024. Riyadh also pairs naturally with Jeddah on the Red Sea (a one-hour domestic flight), the rock art and Nabataean tombs at AlUla, and the heritage Hejaz region. Few Georgian travelers have visited yet, so the novelty value is high, and the country is genuinely interesting in a way that the Gulf city-states are not: a population of more than 36 million, a 2,000-year history of pre-Islamic and Islamic settlement, and a national project (Vision 2030) actively trying to reinvent the relationship between the state and its citizens.

A Georgian traveler does need to understand the rules before booking. Saudi Arabia is a Muslim country governed by an interpretation of sharia law, and several things that are legal at home are not legal here. Alcohol is fully prohibited; you cannot bring it in, buy it, or be served it anywhere in the country, including in five-star hotels. Pork is not sold. Public displays of affection between unrelated men and women are not acceptable. Cannabis and any form of recreational drug carry severe penalties. Friday is the main day of communal prayer, and most businesses close from roughly 11:30 to 13:30, including restaurants and shops, which reopen for the afternoon. Daily prayer times (five times a day) also shut shops for 20 to 30 minutes; check the prayer schedule on your phone or with hotel reception so you do not get caught mid-meal when the doors close.

Dress code is the most asked-about issue. As of 2019 the rules for foreign women have softened significantly. The abaya (the long black robe) is no longer legally required for tourists, though many Saudi women still wear it. Foreign women should wear loose, modest clothing that covers shoulders, chest, and knees; long sleeves and ankle-length trousers or skirts are the safe choice in most public areas, and a headscarf is recommended (not required) when entering mosques or older neighborhoods. Men should avoid shorts above the knee and sleeveless tops. Beachwear is fine at private resort pools and at the Red Sea coast, but not in Riyadh itself.

The best time to visit is November through March, when daytime temperatures sit between 18 and 28 Celsius and the famous Riyadh Season festival runs from late October through mid-March, with concerts, food markets, sports events, and Boulevard City as the centerpiece. Summer (June through August) is brutal: highs of 42 to 48 Celsius, dry but punishing, with most outdoor activities effectively impossible between 09:00 and 19:00. Spring (April, May) and autumn (September, October) are the shoulder seasons, still hot but workable, with lower hotel prices.

Saudi Arabia uses the Saudi riyal (SAR), which trades at roughly 0.75 GEL per riyal. Cards are accepted in most places, Apple Pay and STC Pay are widely used, and ATMs are everywhere. Tipping is not required but a 5 to 10 percent round-up is appreciated at restaurants. Tap water in Riyadh is technically potable but desalinated; most residents drink bottled (1.5 liter bottle around 2 SAR). Mobile data is excellent and SIM cards are sold at the airport (STC and Mobily both offer 14-day tourist packages around 100 SAR).

Safety is generally not an issue for travelers. Violent crime against foreigners is rare, and the police presence is visible but not aggressive. The main risks are heat exhaustion (drink a lot of water, even when you do not feel thirsty), road traffic (Riyadh drivers are fast and lane-discipline is loose, so use Uber or Careem rather than walking across major roads), and accidental dress-code violations in conservative neighborhoods. Photography of women, military sites, and government buildings is restricted and can lead to questioning.

For a Georgian traveler planning a first visit, three to four nights is the right length: one full day for Diriyah and the At-Turaif quarter, one day for the modern landmarks (Kingdom Centre Sky Bridge, National Museum, Boulevard Riyadh City if it is during Riyadh Season), and one or two days for a day trip to the Edge of the World cliff escarpment or Wadi Hanifa. If you can extend by two or three more nights, fly internally to AlUla or Jeddah for a different and more historically layered experience. The country is much larger and more varied than first-time visitors expect, and Riyadh by itself is best understood as the administrative and shopping hub rather than the cultural highlight.