How safe is Saudi Arabia for travelers?

Crime is not the issue

• Street crime is very low and Saudi Arabia is a comfortable country to walk around at night.
• The risks here are legal, and they are the kind that a visitor can walk into without meaning to.

Alcohol and drugs

• Alcohol is completely prohibited. You cannot bring it in, buy it, or arrive intoxicated. Being drunk on the aircraft is itself the offence.
• Drug offences carry zero tolerance: up to 5 years for possession and the death penalty for dealing.
• This is not a place to test the boundaries of what is normally overlooked elsewhere in the Gulf.

Dress and behaviour

• Loose clothing covering the elbows and to below the knee, for both men and women. No tight clothing, no profane images, no political slogans.
• Women do not need an abaya or a headscarf outside a mosque. Older guides say otherwise and are out of date.
• Public displays of affection are not acceptable, for any couple.
• Ramadan (18 February to 19 March 2026): no eating, drinking or smoking in public during daylight. This applies to non-Muslims too.
• Public demonstrations are illegal.

Speech

• Criticising the King, the government, Islam, or taking a public position on Israel and Palestine, is illegal, and the FCDO notes it can be defined by the authorities as posing a threat to national security.
• Social media may be monitored. This includes things posted before you arrived.
• Distributing media requires prior permission from the General Authority of Media Regulation - relevant if you are filming for anything more than personal use.

LGBT+

• Same-sex relations are illegal, though the FCDO notes enforcement against visitors is uncommon.
• Transgender identity is not recognised, which has practical implications for documents.

Exit bans

• Authorities can stop you leaving over unpaid debts, legal disputes or an open investigation, and the FCDO says these can take years to resolve.
• This is the one that catches people out, because it is invisible until you are at passport control. Settle bills, fines and disputes before departure day.

Terrorism and borders

• The FCDO assesses attacks are likely to be attempted, targeting compounds, public places and tourist sites.
• The area near the Yemen border carries a separate and higher risk; check current advice before going anywhere near it.