Everyday practical information for Saudi Arabia

The basics

• Plugs are the British three-pin type G, 230 V at 60 Hz. UK chargers work unmodified; most others need an adapter. The 60 Hz is the oddity - see the sockets section.
• Arabic is the language, and English is widely spoken in hotels, restaurants, ride-hailing and anywhere used to visitors. Signs are bilingual.
• UTC+3 all year, no daylight saving.
• The weekend is Friday and Saturday. Sunday is a working day. This catches out business visitors constantly.

Prayer times

• Shops and restaurants may close for 20 to 30 minutes at each of the five daily prayers. It is far less rigid than it was, but it still happens, particularly in smaller towns and outside the malls.
• Friday midday prayers close more, for longer.
• A prayer-times app is the practical fix.

Ramadan

• Ramadan falls 18 February to 19 March in 2026. During daylight, do not eat, drink or smoke in public - that includes non-Muslims.
• Restaurants open after sunset and the country runs at night. It is a fascinating time to visit and a difficult one to sightsee in.
• Avoid loud music, dancing and swearing in public generally, and particularly then.

The heat and the day

• Life happens in the evening. Malls, restaurants and family outings run late; a restaurant filling at 22:00 is normal.
• Carry water constantly from May to September.

Small things

• Al Balad in Jeddah and Diriyah in Riyadh are the two historic quarters and are both being restored.
• Coffee culture is serious and the Saudi coffee served with dates is offered as hospitality; accepting is polite.
• Right hand for eating and passing things.
• Photographing people, particularly women, without permission is not acceptable and can cause real trouble.