Can Women Tourists Travel to Saudi Arabia Alone?

When deciding what airline to take for my flight from New York City to Cairo, Egypt, I knew I wanted a flight in which I could take advantage of a long layover along the way. The most enticing options were through Aeroflot, with a long layover in Moscow, or Saudia Airlines, with a long layover in Riyadh. Though typically Moscow would be a more appealing choice for my personal preference, there was a lot of political instability involving Russia and Ukraine at the time of my booking, so I decided to go with Saudia Airlines. It certainly sounded exciting to say, “I’m going to Saudi Arabia,” however, I felt confused. Back in 2019 when I tried to find a last-minute flight to Egypt from Kenya after a cancelled ticket, most flights had layovers in Saudi Arabia, which, at the time, I was not allowed in as an American tourist. So, what has since changed?

Campaign 2030 Vision

Saudi Arabia has started a campaign called 2030 vision, under Mohammed bin Salman, to increase tourism in an effort to improve to economy. Saudi Arabia not only has a history of being one of the most difficult nations to visit as a tourist, but also of constantly making headlines for their stark gender inequities. For a country who is notoriously segregated, and notoriously complicated to enter, was having a long layover in Saudi Arabia really a good idea? I started googling “can Americans travel to Saudi Arabia” and “can women travel alone to Saudi Arabia” on the daily, eventually, on the hour. It was clear to me that Americans could enter the Kingdom so long as they had a tourist visa. I applied for the visa, which cost a whopping $164, but was approved within a day. Be aware that the website continuously refused to take my Visa card; I tried upward of twenty times, but when I used my emergency American Express, it worked.

Visa Approved: But Can Women Go Without Accompaniment?

I had the visa, but now I needed to know if I would be allowed to enter and freely travel without the accompaniment of a husband, father, or sponsor. Because I had also read that traveling via public transit in Riyadh is difficult, I decided my best bet with limited time was to hire a guide. I also thought, this would help me avoid any issues in case for some reason, I was denied entry due to being unaccompanied. I hired a guide through Tours by Local, and truly hit the jackpot with my guide, Laith (more on that later).

Google still gave me mixed responses as to if women are allowed to travel alone. Initial searches said no, but with a little more digging in recent articles, I found blogs as recently as 2022 from women who solo traveled to the Kingdom. I searched “Saudi Arabia” on the Girls Love Travel page and saw a woman from Europe had recently traveled there alone. I also saw a comment from a woman who said about ten years ago, she was not allowed to leave the airport because she did not have accompaniment. This made me think, well, women used to not be allowed to travel alone there, but with the new 2030 Vision campaign, it has changed. I finally stopped googling and just let it be. I was getting on that flight either way.

Flying Saudia Airlines: Can You Drink On The Plane?

With such tough logistics and uncertainty to enter a place, one might really be craving a boozy beverage. However, Saudia Airlines is a dry airline, meaning there is no alcohol served. I was in the airport lounge at JFK before boarding, and though I was not looking for vino or a cocktail before the long haul, I wondered, “Can people drink before they get on the plane?” The answer is yes. I saw a man who was throwing back shots of whiskey and asking for the strongest beer they had, and he ended up being on my flight. It is important to note that though you can drink beforehand, you cannot bring alcohol on the plane.

Arriving In Riyadh

After 12 long hours, I finally arrived at Riyadh airport. Once I approached the passport control counter, they checked my visa and passport, and had me scan my fingerprints several times. It felt like a much higher security entry than most other places I’ve been to. After scanning my fingerprints, my passport was stamped, and I was officially in Saudi Arabia.

I’m In! Now What?

I went outside to meet my guide, Laith, who picked me up and had a day planned for fun adventures so I could see the best Riyadh has to offer in my short time there. You can book a similar tour like I did here. I wore an abaya and had a blue scarf on in case I needed to cover my hair if we were to go inside a mosque. I did not keep my hair covered the entire time and I was told by Laith that I did not need to wear the abaya if I decided not to. He explained to me that I can wear whatever I would like, so long as it is modest. I then asked if Saudi Arabia is strict with dress codes for tourists, and he said it is not that they are strict, it’s that they are traditional. This served as a friendly reminder to me to always use the right language when speaking to others.

Our first stop was at the National Museum of Saudi Arabia. Though Saudi Arabia has lifted most Corona-virus restrictions, masks were still mandated inside the museum. I planned to wear my mask as much as possible to lower my risk of becoming infected abroad, but here, it was required. Laith did not have a mask on and was told he needed one, which of course, he complied with. At the museum, I learned about the history of Saudi’s oil and land, the different animals to be found in both the dessert and the Red Sea, and about past Kings. There were some artifacts from ancient times with hieroglyphics reciting the Quran, and the language found on these artifacts is known to be the oldest form of written language, along with what can be found in Egypt. I highly recommend a visit to this museum, even for an hour, if you are to stop in Riyadh. Admission is free!

After the museum, we headed to Masmak Fortress. I was in Riyadh on a Saturday, which is like the U.S.’s Sunday. Saudi Arabia’s “weekends” are Friday and Saturday, and the workday begins on a Sunday. According to Laith, Saudi Arabia is very busy on Fridays (think our Saturdays), and Saturdays are quiet. This seemed to ring true; there were hardly any people out. I saw very few tourists; maybe 20 in total the entire day. This made for some nice photos in front of Masmak Fortress.

After Masmak, we walked through a public square where executions used to be held for people who committed the highest punishable crimes. Laith let me know this does not happen anymore. Ironically, as we walked through, there was a call to prayer.

We then walked through a souk, where I was able to try on a $3000 coat made of rabbit fur. I asked the employee why they would need coats like this in Saudi Arabia, and he let me know it actually gets quite cold there in the winters.

Laith tried to take me to an auction, but because there were not enough people, the auction was not happening that day. I was also able to smell some oils and watch the process in which agals, the black rings worn around male’s heads in traditional garb, are made. I was surprised by how heavy they are! What stood out most to me of this entire experience was that I was able to browse freely and peacefully without being haggled, as is the case in most markets around the world. No one expected me to buy anything and was happy to just show me what they offered.

Finally, I ended my long layover with a traditional meal. Laith ordered for us. He asked if I wanted chicken or goat, and since chicken is so readily available almost everywhere, I opted for goat. We had rice, goat meat, vegetables, leben (a yogurt/buttermilk like drink), a stew of bulgur and spices, and classic Saudi coffee. When the Saudi coffee came out, I was sure it was tea, but Laith explained to me that Saudi coffee is not traditional coffee and is cooked with cardamom and other spices. It has a yellow-ish tint to it; it looks, and frankly tastes, like tea.

Laith then dropped me back off at the airport an hour and a half early for my flight, which he told me would be much earlier than needed, though as an avid traveler, I felt nervous getting to the airport that late. Laith was right; I was through security in less than 5 minutes!

So… Can Women Travel Alone To Saudi Arabia?

The answer is YES!

All in all, as you can see from my experience, visiting Saudi Arabia on a long layover was just like visiting anywhere else. It was completely safe, rich with history, and welcoming to solo female travelers such as myself. So, to answer the long question of this blog post, can women tourists travel solo to Saudi Arabia? Yes, they sure can.