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Questions tagged [saudi-arabia]

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (often just "KSA), a Middle-Eastern country comprising most of the Arabian Peninsula on both the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf.

Saudi Arabia is bordered by the Red Sea to its west and the Arabian Gulf to its east. Its a part of the GCC countries and the official and only language spoken there is Arabic. Currently Saudi Arabia does not issue tourist visas but it issues Hajj visas for Muslims willing to perform Hajj (Islamic pilgrimage). Saudi Arabia is one of the biggest crude oil exporters.

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Are non-Muslims allowed to build snowmen in Saudi Arabia and similar countries?

I recently read Saudi Arabia 'fatwa over building of snowmen'. A religious scholar issued a fatwa (which merely means legal opinion) against the building of snowmen, or snow models of animals (such as snow camels). Later in the article, it states…
Golden Cuy
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Can I bring an anti-religious book into Saudi Arabia?

Could I bring books like The God Delusion from Richard Dawkins to Saudi Arabia? What will happen if they saw this book in my hand during the check-in or somewhere else in Saudi Arabia? What about books about evolution or fiction like The Da Vinci…
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Can I, until now a non-Muslim, visit Mecca by declaring that Allah is one in front of 2 people?

As per the BBC Becoming a Muslim requires a very simple act, but the meaning behind it is very deep. You have to believe that there is only one God, Allah, who created the entire universe, and that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is his final…
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How to independently visit Saudi Arabia?

I've read that Saudi Arabia doesn't grant tourist visas to independent travelers. I've also read that recently they grant visas to group of travelers, if the tour is organized by a recognized tour company. The question is: what are (if any) legal…
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How does one get a visa to go to Saudi Arabia?

I am not going for the Hajj or for the Jeddah Season Events. I understand that there is no tourist visa for Saudi Arabia, but I have friends there to visit. This website has a visa application form for "personal visit" but everything is in Arabic,…
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Are non-Saudi women allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia?

A link from Are there any man-only places in the world? called No Women Allowed by Fox News repeats a claim I've often heard: Women need a man, or government permission, to do just about anything – Saudi Arabian women aren’t even allowed to…
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Are there any areas in Mecca that non-Muslims are allowed to enter under Saudi Arabian law?

I know Mecca is one of the most sacred sites in Islam and that a merchant was kicked out for entering the site and being Christian and that non-Muslims who enter the most sacred regions of the city could be kicked out of Saudi Arabia. However, are…
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Can a Muslim woman visit Medina Mosques as tourist independently?

I’m a Muslim girl from Romania. How can I get a visa to visit the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, Saudi Arabia?
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How safe is it for "Western" Muslims to participlate in the Hajj and visit Mecca?

So as I hope you all know, the Hajj is a religious pilgrimage that Islam requests all its believers to participate in at least once in their lifetime if possible. Now I know that there have been many incidents such as stampedes where lots of people…
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I am transiting through Saudi Arabia. Do I need a visa?

I am transiting through Saudi Arabia via the airport at Riyadh (RUH), Jeddah (JED), or Dammam (DMM). Do I need a visa for this?
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How cheap are the cheapest accommodations in Saudi Arabia?

So I know Saudi Arabia is known for being rich and for not issuing tourist visas. But if somebody were to go there on some other type of visa, such as a business visa, and then attempt some independent backpacker-style tourism to experience, what…
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Can I perform Umrah while on a Saudi Arabian visit e-visa?

For those who don't know, just a few days ago Saudi Arabia, known for being inaccessible, introduced a new e-visa system for a handful of countries, which include the whole Schengen area, the U.S and Australia, so whoever wants to visit it can do so…
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Can travellers see Buddhist temples in Saudi Arabia?

Can travellers see Buddhist temples in Saudi Arabia? I'm not a Buddhist myself, but I sometimes see Buddhist temples when travelling. Wikipedia mentions that there's approximately 400,000 Buddhists in Saudi Arabia. Are there any Buddhist temples,…
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Has Saudi Arabia already started issuing tourist visas in 2018, or when do they intend to begin?

I'm just updating this question because a friend who's visited about 100 countries just told me the Kingdom has actually opened up tourist visas. It's now August 2018. Is it really open now? I was just doing some Googling (July 2016) and hit some…
hippietrail
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How should men dress in Saudi Arabia to respect local law and morals?

What are acceptable items to wear for male tourists visiting Saudi Arabia, regardless of any religious affilation? This is for everyday situations; not necessarily related to business or specific functions. For instance, are T-shirts or shorts…
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