Saudi Arabia: A Whole New World

Ryan Haq

This month, I visited my 52nd country -- Saudi Arabia. There seem to be fewer and fewer places on Earth that feel truly unique, and Saudi is one of them. Now, you may have some preconceived notions about Saudi Arabia (I know I did). Some of it is right, some of it is wrong. Saudi Arabia is a country living in both the past and the future. The country's recent changes have opened it to tourism, eliminated laws that forced women to wear headscarves & niqabs, allowed women to drive, and eliminated the moral police. Yet, Saudis are a respectful people & embrace their traditions and cultures. Saudi is a rich country, full of modern amenities & using their wealth to reimagine the future. Yet, parts of Saudi seem untouched in centuries. Now, this is not a trip I would recommend for first-time travelers or solo female travelers. This isn't because Saudi is uninviting to women, but because Islamic traditions require men to be hyper respectful to women (at times to the point of excluding / separating women for their protection, or feeling uncomfortable even speaking to women). It's helpful to have a guy with you here. Navigating Saudi culture can seem a little daunting. But (even if you're a solo woman), the people are warm, normal, and frankly pretty chill. I enjoyed my trip here and am interested in visiting different parts of the country. If you're interested in chatting more about Saudi, drop a comment!

Tags: Exploring, Meditating, Roadtripping, Thought Provoking, Walking