Sixty Days in Saudi Arabia
Cycling through Saudi Arabia was never very appealing when I lived and worked here for 5 years as a teacher. Based in the eastern part of what is a vast country, I was surrounded by hundreds of kilometres of mostly flat and monotonous desert landscapes. I bought a road bike soon after arriving, but quickly became bored of the same roads that surrounded the compound where I lived.
Road biking in the eastern province. I didn't get much mileage out of this bicycle, finding the flat roads dull and monotonous to cycle. I spent more of my free time running and swimming.
On the western side of the country however, close to the Red Sea, a diverse landscape of mountains rise up to over 3000m in elevation, stretching thousands of kilometres from the country's northern border with Jordan all the way south into Yemen. Having visited a few times with a car when living here, I knew this was a far more interesting and adventurous place to cycle, so was always keen and curious to return with two wheels when the time was right.
For many years visiting Saudi Arabia was only possible if you were working here or coming for pilgrimage as a Muslim traveller. As part of the country’s vision to open itself to the world, this changed in 2019 when it briefly opened its borders for non-Muslim tourism. This stopped through 2020 and 2021 due to COVID, then started again at some point in 2022.
West is best. The Hijaz and Sarawat Mountains of western Saudi Arabia provide a more interesting and diverse place to cycle than the central and eastern parts of the country.
As a result of plate tectonics creating the Arabian Plate.
Exploring the Sarawat Mountains of south western Saudi Arabia when I lived here. A week with a rental car wasn't enough.
Following on from several weeks of cycling in Jordan, the initial plan was to ride south from the border as far as Jeddah, mid-way down the country's western side, then fly out to Qatar. As the days progressed however, I found myself wanting to continue riding onwards through the mountains and desert valleys, and avoid cycling towards a huge and busy coastal city. With nothing booked ahead and no fixed time plan, it was as simple as that. I just continued riding as far south as possible, adding another month or so to my time here.
Exploring the trails around Wadi Disah.
The rock formations of Tabuk province were a welcome introduction to northern Saudi Arabia.
The mountainous desert landscapes are dramatic and ever-changing in appearance and colour.
I initially considered riding along parts of the coast, but realised I would likely be on highways for much of the time, and there would be a lot more construction. Saudi Arabia is currently in the midst of a $1,000,000,000,000 (yes that's 1 trillion) megaproject called Neom. The scale of this is on a level that's hard to comprehend. I wanted to avoid areas which would likely just be demolition and building sites, so stayed inland.
The wide open and mountainous landscapes of Saudi Arabia made me want to extend my time here.
Most of the best routes I found myself on were ones that weren’t marked and/or told not to follow because they were rough.
A lot of desert tracks were compact, interspersed with soft sandy sections. The wide tyres made easy work of most of them.
I camped almost the entire time, which is partly a reflection of how much I enjoy camping and how easy it is to camp here. The winter months between November-March have almost perfect weather conditions for camping under starlit skies in beautiful desert landscapes. That, coupled with a lack of budget accommodation, and my reluctance to ride into large urban centres, meant I only stayed in official accommodation for 2 nights out of 60.
Better than any hotel. Camping under starlit skies was a common occurrence here.
I frequently pitched the tent without the raincover, unless it was cold. Night time temperatures were between 5-15°C, depending on the elevation. I camped mostly between 500m-2500m.
January 15th. A happy birthday. Skies were clear in the north of Saudi. I tried to find places with minimal light pollution so that the night sky was clearer to photograph.
I took all the night sky photos with a wide angle lens (17mm) with the aperture on my camera (Sony A6400) wide open (F2) with shutter speeds varying between 20-30sec and ISO speeds from 800-1600. Obviously I required a tripod for such photos.
Finding spots with interesting trees was useful both for resting my bike against as well as providing a silhouette against the night sky.
It wasn't all starlit skies, especially under a full moon in this date plantation.
In which I had been invited for tea/lunch a few hours previously by this retired bank manager. Mansour had spent a number of years living and working in the US, so there was no struggling with Google translate.
Most mornings were cool, clear and peaceful, lending themselves to slowly packing up. I was in no rush - always awake around sunrise, but rarely on the road until a few hours later.
Those lazy first hours of sunshine were often used to generate some solar power into a battery pack or my phone. It wasn't essential to carry a solar panel, but with the clear skies and guaranteed sun, it was nice to boost a little energy before setting off.
Most days and nights were clear, so cloud like this was unusual. I kept a close eye on the weather forecast for any storms as I frequently camped in places that could flood quickly, with little notice.
The only formal accommodation during my time here was this room in the city of Khamis Mushayt. Not bad for £15. I didn't really look for accommodation elsewhere as I was content to camp, but knew there was a shortage of budget accommodation.
Fortunately it was never difficult to find a public park or quiet mosque to wash/shower discreetly in, as a well as use the toilet facilities and often charge phone/batteries. Filling up and finding water was therefore never really a problem. For a country that has so much desert and rains so little, finding water here (desalinated but fine to drink) was ironically perhaps easier than nearly every other country I have cycled in!
Public parks such as this are common on the edge of towns. Most have toilet blocks with bum guns, providing a place to wash and do laundry.
And also providing a place to camp if need be. I slept in several parks, which was never an issue, other than making sure I wasn't pitched too close to a sprinkler. I felt safe and there were always toilets nearby. This was in the city of Najran.
Some toilets were spotlessly clean and spacious.
Others less so, but fine for a bike traveller roughing it. I rarely went more than a day or two without washing, either in parks or small mosques.
Public water dispensers are found in many places. Either randomly at the roadside or beside mosques. I had capacity to carry up to 6 litres if need be.
Security wise - Saudi Arabia is probably one of the safest countries I have cycled through. I could leave my bicycle outside shops, mosques, and parks unlocked.
As for buying food, service stations in Saudi Arabia are very well stocked and no more expensive than the larger supermarkets found in cities. Many service stations here have small restaurants attached, which were predominantly Pakistani staffed and provided fresh and affordable meals for £2-5.
Many service stations have a small restaurant attached, typically staffed by Pakistani or Bangladeshis. The larger ones sell a variety of dishes.
Freshly baked hot bread or rice is served with other dishes. While meat is commonly eaten, it's quite easy to find vegetarian dishes like dhal, and in this case moussaka (eggplant).
Saudi Arabia’s national dish, and most popular, is kabsa. Meat (most often chicken) served with an enormous amount of rice to fill even the hungriest of cyclists.
Cash is King. ATMs are easy to find in Saudi and withdrawals are free (assuming your bank doesn't charge you). Like many countries these days, in bigger shops/towns, paying by card is easy, but for smaller purchases, and in rural areas, cash is preferred. In fact it’s probably preferred by retailers everywhere. My costs in Saudi were very low, on account of camping almost the entire time, drinking no alcohol, eating simple/cheap meals, and being frequently given and invited for drinks/food.
As Saudi Arabia only opened to mainstream tourism (non-Muslim) in recent years, there is a lack of tourist infrastructure and far fewer tourists here than neighbouring countries like Jordan, Oman and Egypt. Away from a few locations that Saudi Arabia has earmarked for tourism, such as Al Ula, western tourists are a very rare sight, so the level of curiosity from Saudi Arabians is far greater. At times this could be a little overwhelming, but as a single male traveller I never felt unsafe.
Al Ula old town is one of the few places I saw other western tourists. The town and area around has been earmarked for tourist development, but the focus is on the luxury end of the budget spectrum. Tented camps start at around $60.
Looking down at the date plantations in Al Ula.
Hegra/Medain Salah, - like a mini Petra, and far less impressive, is the main draw card to Al Ula. £20 ticket for a mandatory guided tour. I happily returned to re-visit Petra for a second time several weeks before this. While Hegra was interesting, there would be no desire for a repeat visit.
While I wasn’t prepared to pay $60+ for a traditional tented camp like this, I was lucky a young Saudi I had met in a bike shop in Al Ula invited me.
There were few days when Saudis didn't stop in their vehicle to greet, ask questions, photograph/film me, and usually give me water/snacks.
It was always in good spirits. If people were taking photos and videos of me (usually without asking) I just did the same in return.
People frequently invited me to their homes, but often that wasn't practical, like half-way down a 2000m descent at 5pm when I’m more focused on getting down the hill and finding a place to camp.
Travelling solo as a woman would have been a different experience. I rarely saw women in public, let alone engage in conversation with them. Women do travel here independently, and while I believe the country is far safer than many I have cycled through, it really felt like a man's world for most of the time. While Saudi Arabia is changing and modernising quite quickly in urban areas, I think life in much of the country remains traditional and conservative.
The only woman I had a proper conversation with in Saudi was never going to be Saudi Arabian, unless I spent time in Jeddah or Riyadh (even then unlikely). Women do travel solo in Saudi Arabia. My friend Helen Lloyd was motorbiking her way through the Arabian peninsula, showing it is possible. We camped together for several nights before she continued north and me south. The Saudi in the picture here had kindly brought us lunch where we were camped.
Camping with Helen on the edge of the Sarawat Mountain escarpment. 2500m up after a 2000m climb the previous day.
Had I wanted to I probably could have been hosted most nights. Saudi Arabians are some of the friendliest and most hospitable people I have encountered during my bike travels. My days were filled with frequent invites for tea/coffee/lunch and also to homes, many of which I went to during the day. I probably refused as many invites as I accepted, but I was content and happy to find my own places to camp in quiet areas by night, rather than ride into settlements and enquire about where I could sleep. In the context of a country new to tourism like this, and one that prides itself on the Islamic tradition of hospitality, this would have undoubtedly led to many invitations to sleep in what would likely be a guestroom of a large house - memorable experiences, but not always relaxing, especially when relying on google translate for most conversations.
Water and snacks were handed to me on most days, usually in such small bottles. I was frequently carrying empty plastic looking for a bin.
More obscure and unusual gifts from the window of a car included Aftershave! Perhaps the driver was trying to tell me something.
Cold beer anyone? Non-alcoholic of course. Alcohol is illegal in Saudi Arabia. My 9 weeks cycling here is the longest detox I’ve had from alcohol since I lived here! Definitely makes for a cheaper and healthier tour. I’m not a big drinker, but do enjoy a cold beer at the end of the day. This one was handed to me outside a service station, although I never bought one myself. I’ve cycled in other countries where it's not really available (Iran, Pakistan, Somaliland, Oman, Libya) and don’t particularly miss it when it’s not there. One day Saudi may make alcohol legal (it’s already happening) but I was grateful it wasn't freely available in small shops. Driving standards in Saudi Arabia are crazy enough without adding alcohol into the mix!
I was frequently invited into homes, which invariably meant tea, coffee and lunch. I wore shorts when cycling, and usually put on trousers when entering a home. On this occasion my bike was some distance outside and it was an inconvenience to walk back and change.
Taking photos at these spontaneous invitations seemed to be part of the experience. Saudi Arabians are proud of their identity and culture, and very often conscious of their appearance, making sure they look their best when photographed.
Having lived in Saudi Arabia, albeit not experienced the same kind of cultural immersion I witnessed while travelling here, it didn't surprise me that I saw no women when I was invited into a home or social event such as this one. Women in rural areas are largely invisible in public.
The only awkward of these random invitations was when I was asked if I was Muslim (not uncommon when travelling here) after having been invited into a home. On finding out I wasn’t, the reaction and atmosphere while eating lunch wasn’t very welcoming. I was asked quite forcefully to observe the midday prayer, a short time after which I left.
There was also a somewhat awkward and worrying situation one night when camping. A Saudi who I had met a few hours previously and exchanged numbers with, found my pillow that must have fallen out of a bag somewhere close to meeting him. I sent him my location of where I was camping, which wasn't far, asking if he could bring it. This then led to him sending a series of inappropriate messages on WhatsApp. My use of the ❤️ emoji, had clearly been interpreted the wrong way! I tried to tell him not to come and that we could meet the next day, or drop it in a shop for me to collect, but he refused to listen and drove to where I was camping.
So at about 10pm, pitch dark in the middle of nowhere, he arrived. A flash of his legs then the touching of my shoulder and legs, at which point I explained I was very tired and it was best he left. It needed repeating a few times before he got the message. Embarrassed and somewhat shamed, he drove off. I knew he wouldn't return. Homosexuality is illegal in Saudi Arabia. I didn't really fear the situation, and never would have reported him unless there had been some aggravation or assault. The situation was calm, but it made me reflect on how life is in Saudi Arabia - sexually repressive and strict. I ended up feeling somewhat sorry for this man, and a little foolish for both sending him a ❤️ emoji and giving him my location
By and large though, invitations and exchanges were always friendly. There are few countries in the world which would match Saudi Arabia for its level of hospitality.
Not all my roadside invitations were from Saudis. The backbone of this country runs on the help of thousands of foreign workers. Afghanis (pictured), Bangladeshis, Pakistanis, Yemeni, Sudanese are just some of the nationalities of people (often lowly paid) who invited me for drinks/food at the roadside.
Cycling along one moment, dressed in local attire the next. The things I do to help someone with their social media! 20 minutes later I was sat down with coffee, dates, and lambs kidneys with fresh bread. Just another random day in Saudi.
Saudi houses are generally enormous, as are their guest rooms. I probably could have slept in similar places on most nights by merely asking someone where I could sleep. I camped out of choice, not necessity in Saudi.
I rarely found it difficult to find a place to camp, but I've done this so many times that the process is very familiar. I frequently used google satellite for selecting places that I thought would be suitable, at least an hour or two before sunset, or even earlier in the day. My own particular preference for finding scenic places means that I can be very selective about where I camp, but I was frequently spoilt with options.
Just in case you can’t find your own place to camp………
I often pitched my tent in places that would receive the morning sun as early as possible.
One of the most useful applications I've downloaded and used in recent years is one that tells me when and where the sun and moon will rise/set. There are various free applications. This one is called Sun position
I never feared camping far from people in the middle of nowhere. The more remote I was the safer I generally felt, although nowhere in Saudi Arabia really felt that remote. There was more a sense of space than true remoteness.
I always tried to find somewhere with enough daylight left to enjoy the sunset and soft colours.
When there was ample deadwood around I usually made a campfire. Nights are long during the winter months, so I lit a fire, usually cooking over it. In recent years campfires on the ground using native wood have become illegal in Saudi Arabia. This is mostly to stop people cutting live wood and burning rubbish, as well as scorching the earth. I always had a fire on sand and used deadwood.
The best purchase I made in Saudi, which I wish I had bought when I arrived, was this teapot. It got frequent compliments from Saudis, who consider it an essential part of camping equipment.
As such I used it most mornings and evenings to make a brew.
While I cooked over a fire many evenings, I did use my multi-fuel stove frequently. 500ml of petrol would last around a week of camping. While the cost of fuel has increased dramatically here in recent years, 1 litre costs around £0.50. Had I wanted to just use camping gas (screw on), I could have found it in almost every service station.
Shakshuka for breakfast. I predominantly cooked pasta/noodles with some fried vegetables/beans/ in the evening.
The 1.6L titanium saucepan and titanium frying pan were a perfect combination, frequently getting blackened as I cooked over the fire.
But aren’t you afraid of wild animals? In times past there were a lot more wild animals in Saudi Arabia, but ones that people fear, such as Arabian wolves, are far less common these days. Hunting and killing an Arabian wolf, like the one here that succumbed to roadkill, incurs a $5000 fine nowadays. I saw no wolves, only heard a few while camping. In the winter months, smaller and likely far more dangerous creatures such as scorpions and snakes are rare.
Far less common are baboons, which are everywhere in the Sarawat Mountains of southern Saudi Arabia. Considered a pest, they roam the roadsides and streets looking for food while raiding bins. Leaving a bicycle or tent unattended when there are baboons nearby is not wise.
Watching and waiting. I have little love for baboons.
Other wild animals, also not to be feared, are donkeys. There are thousands of feral donkeys roaming the mountains in western Saudi, a reminder of a time not that long ago when they would have been used to transport goods.
While sleeping outside mostly meant camping, a camel farmer invited me to stay one night. At first I assumed it was going to his home, but soon realised it was merely the location where he fed and watered his camels.
A sleep in a camel farm won’t come without an offer to drink warm and fresh camel milk. The taste - mild and sweet and not like cow's milk at all.
Unsurprisingly, camels are found everywhere, often roaming far from any settlement. They are always owned by Saudis, but camel herders are more likely to come from Sudan.
Sunrise and a Sudanese camel herder gets ready for the day. He milked one of the camels nearby and offered it to me for breakfast.
In Jordan I had largely followed a published bike route, but here in Saudi I returned to how I usually plan my bike trips, which is making it up as I go along with a general direction (south in this case) in mind. In this manner, none of my days were pre-planned. I had a 90-day visa (approx £90) and ample time. Spontaneous interactions and invitations meant that some days I rode only 30-40km, other days 80-100km. Rarely did I ride more than 100km, spending 5-6 hours on the saddle. I never rode at night.
Dropping down from 2500m in the Sarawat Mountains means a 2000m+ descent.
With dramatic views through the cloud cover on this day.
There were a surprising number of wadis with water in, which made for great camping locations. Many of these wadis are probably dry in the summer months.
I often stopped to photograph trees in the landscape, their shapes unique, and green foliage a contrast to the sun-scorched backdrop.
Digital mapping is poorly developed in Saudi Arabia. I used a combination of Komoot, Mapy, and Google maps, especially Google satellite, to find roads and plan routes. A number did not appear marked on the maps, so I was merely relying on tracks I could see from satellite imagery. Fortunately the mobile network was relatively strong in 90% of the places I found myself, so it was rarely a problem that I could not access information, and if I couldn't it wouldn't be for an extended period. STC is Saudi Arabia's strongest network, so I was happy I bought and used this from the start, other than one of the other providers.
Not the cheapest internet, but certainly reliable throughout my time in Saudi Arabia. Just under £40 for this package. Most places I stopped at did not have wifi. There are other network providers in Saudi Arabia, but STC is the most comprehensive.
Riding through Wadi Disah. There is no road here, just a track through the wadi.
A number of times motorists I met on remote tracks, or roads taking me towards places off the map, would stop to tell me I was going the wrong way. It was sometimes hard to judge how well they knew the area, but I realised most people would never choose to travel on a rough track when there might be a paved alternative, so I frequently thanked, but kindly ignored what locals told me, and relied more on google satellite. I was aware that some tracks I might access would be impassable for one reason or another, so made sure I carried enough water. If all went wrong I would just turn back the way I came.
There is no road here, but a track running through a wadi in the direction I wanted to go was visible on Google satellite. I saved locations along the track and knew that if a vehicle could pass this way then so could I.
It turned out to be a great route choice. I have always ridden an ATB (All terrain bike) when bike travelling. The Tout Terrain Xplore is just that. While it would be possible to ride through Saudi Arabia on even a road bike, that would limit the riding to paved surfaces. The best routes were ones like this - rough and remote. Aptly named, the Tout Terrain was the best companion for such places.
As for tyres to ride off-road in Saudi, I was more grateful than ever before to be running tubeless tyres. These 27.5”x2.6” Vittoria Mezcals collected numerous thorns on both front and rear. Had I used tubes, I would have had countless daily punctures. After 5000km of use in Jordan and Saudi they were faultless, the rear beginning to show signs of wear and thinning.
I left most thorns embedded in the tyre as pulling them out wasted sealant. In the end the rear tyre had no sealant left in it.
When I finally removed the tyres at the end of the tour, both were full of thorns.
I encountered no other issues with the bike, other than the front sprocket coming loose. I was able to partly tighten this with a 3mm Allen key, but it repeatedly came loose. I did not pack the specific lock ring tool needed to tighten the sprocket, so decided I would have to get a tool made for me.
Which in a country like Saudi Arabia was never going to be difficult. An Egyptian welder in a small village spent a few hours making a tool that would allow me the torque required to ensure the sprocket was tightened properly. It didn't come loose again. Thanks Suleiman!
‘Where does the petrol go’? A Bangladeshi farmer probably looking at the first Pinion gearbox he has seen.
No chain nor cassette and derailleur, this internal gearbox has 12 gears, shifting smoothly and never skipping a gear. Nothing negative to say in its first 5000km, other than the gearbox collects dirt easily.
Nowhere really felt truly remote while cycling here, which I think is a combination of never being that far from mobile signal, and the fact that I’ve done so much off-the-beaten-track cycling over the years that places that might look remote, and feel so for some, perhaps don’t for me. Having said that, riding south towards and through Wadi Bisha certainly felt more so than many other places. There were just rough tracks and no settlements. I imagined that were I able to continue south into Yemen, the landscapes there would be a continuation of what I was seeing.
Evening sun on the descent towards Wadi Dahab, which would lead to Wadi Bisah. The police said the road was too steep and dangerous to descend.
Riding towards Wadi Bisha. ‘You will have to come back the same way’, said the same policeman 1500m higher up in elevation. Not according to what the satellite map was showing me.
Descent into Wadi Bishah.
Wadi Bisah. Perhaps the best places are always hard to reach. What a magical place.
Riding through Wadi Bisha. I imagine this is how parts of northern Yemen must look - remote, peaceful, clean, empty, beautiful.
Flower power. In the far south west of the country, close to Yemen, the headdress and dagger are distinctive features of attire amongst men.
And for a few days most, most of the men I met were dressed as such.
Always happy to pose, and often wearing kohl under their eyes in traditional Bedouin style.
And usually stopping at the rare sight of a foreigner in what is a seldom-visited part of the country.
While I wanted to cycle on gravel and unpaved roads as much as possible, this wasn't always possible. Many minor roads in Saudi Arabia are paved, and minor roads here sometimes turned out to be much bigger than I thought. As I stayed clear of most large cities though, rarely was I ever on a very busy road, and 90% of paved roads here have wide shoulders at the side.
Not the right bike for roads like this, but you can only ride one kind of bike, and at some point everyday I was on a surface that most bikes would struggle over.
Flat roads get boring quickly, which is one reason why I loved cycling in western Saudi Arabia. Few of the routes I chose were flat, and some of the gradients on roads like this were in excess of 20-25℅ steepness in parts.
I do it for the burn, the views and the reward of course.
The climb up and descent from Jebel Shada was probably the steepest road/track I have taken by bicycle, dropping 1000m in altitude in less than 6km on a rough track. I walked the bike down through some sections.
I had no interest to ride across the centre of the country to reach the eastern province. There are only a few roads, which are big highways, and the flat, often monotonous desert landscapes, coupled with unpredictable strong winds, meant putting my bicycle on a bus for 1300km, before riding on another 200km to reach the border with Qatar, felt like a far better option. I was uncertain whether it would be possible to take my bike on a bus, but it turned out to be easy. There was no extra cost and the bus only had a handful of passengers.
Ample room and no extra cost. Packed for a 17-hr 1300km ride across the country. Sapco is the main bus company here. The ticket cost around £55.
Journey through the desert. I usually like to cycle everywhere, but I had no regrets about taking a bus through the desert, especially as there are only big highways crossing the country to the eastern province.
Would I recommend Saudi Arabia as a bike touring destination? Absolutely. Outside of November-March I think most of the country is too hot to comfortably ride here. As the country is vast and distances are big between places, it's also not really a destination for a short 1-2 week tour, although you could fly in to somewhere like Al-Ula and ride a loop through the mountains and deserts here.
Geographically I think the mountains and desert landscapes in the west of the country, where I predominately cycled, are the most interesting and diverse, lending themselves to a 1-2 month+ tour. Most people who come here will have a maximum of 90 days anyway.
Reaching the Arabian Gulf and the sea again in the eastern province. I missed camping by the beach, but was equally spoilt in the mountains and desert. From here it was 120km to the border with Qatar.
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Alas, here is the route in complete. Animated without detail in the first map, and the complete GPS detailed tracking route second. Any missing parts are either because my watch battery died and stopped recording GPS data (just once I think) or I was in a vehicle with my bike loaded inside.
Thanks for following and reading. If you have any questions, throw them in the comments here.