Wizzair added Riyadh as a destination from Sofia. Obviously I had to go. 2023, May, just right before summer. Already terribly hot in Saudi Arabia though but I decided to fly out and take my chance to visit this unique place.

Wizzair had the temporary vision of making a hub of Riyadh, another access port to the Middle East and beyond for its expanding flight network. Abu Dhabi was the existing port, however expansion requires further ports. This, undoubtedly with the opening up of Saudi Arabia for tourists, let Wizzair venture into the unknown territory for westerners. The tourism never really kicked off, at least so far. It is just two worlds apart, and after visiting, I do believe it will take another decade to actually be on the radar. By now, unfortunately, the flight from Sofia has already been cut. The network never really expanded in the hub idea they thought of, and even Abu Dhabi cancelled Wizz operations for a while. On the flight to RIyadh, there were about 10 people max. The same for the way back. It was a handful of tourists. But nobody truly ventured out.

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That may have been because of the costs of a visa, although I doubt people truly looked into visiting. The country just did not have the reputation as a destination yet the way a place Dubai has. And that makes it all the better. Of course, it does not help for Europeans that Saudi Arabia is a strictly no-alcohol destination. They'd see it as 'no fun'. But the authenticity of the place and the rewarding travel experience are off the charts. If no alcohol for a while is a dealbreaker for a vacation, opposed to exploring an unknown frontier, that's a sign true travel exploring may just not be of true interest. And that is fine. Saudi, however, offers the authenticity without sacrificing on comfort. It is a modern nation with excellent transport both within and outside the cities. Internal flights are a breeze. The high speed train from Jeddah to Medina was an experience to behold. And while I was too early to enjoy it - the Riyadh metro is fully operational by now. And it seems to be marvellous.

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Saudi Arabia had not been open to tourists for a very long time. Since the introduction of the e-visa for many countries, it has become quite easy to visit the country. But there was Covid as well, which put things on hold for quite a while. I well remember my father having to visit the country for work, when I was still a kid. At that point, he had to send his passport to the embassy by post and received it back days later. It was not even a guarantee to get the visa (neither is it now, but the process is pretty much automated). Make sure to get it from the official portal and it is straightforward, no need for any agency whatsoever. On arrival is an option for selected countries as well. I was anxious for that, so arranged it in advance. I got it minutes later. The visa can be for multiple entries and now, after I visited Saudi Arabia, I decided I really wanted to go twice. This time for Christmas time. I do not really celebrate the festivities and prefer to spend some time in the sun, despite Riyadh getting chilly. Unfortunately, the route was already axed by the time Christmas came around, and I had to think of something else.

Despite the relative complexity, those that do go, find a hospitable country with incredibly friendly people who will go out of their way to welcome you to their country. They'll find the modernised capital city of Riyadh, that has undergone a true makeover and is now a true metropolis with shopping malls where live concerts take place. The malls are a significant part of life in the Middle East as they are air conditioned, and for about half of the year it is just very hot outside. That heat was already excessive by the time of May. Think of the sensation of opening your oven while baking a pizza - the heat that comes out in a hairdryer-type wind is continuous. How I dealt with it is pretty much by covering myself up. It was always a bit of a no-go to wear shorts in Riyadh but by now it is more acceptable. Most Asian workers, which the country has many of, has changed the perception on it. The locals however are covered completely - no shorts or short sleeves. Often, the traditional dress of white is worn, and black by women. The sun not hitting the skin and neck are actually good coolants. So it did help me to just cover up, have a sort of bandana around most of my head, and I could conquer the heat all the way to the 45 degrees in Medina.

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But for now Riyadh. I am so eager to go back and you'll find it is way easier than you'd think once the initial complexity of getting there is out of the way. Besides the metro, the city has a properly functioning bus system and a reliable Uber service. Have a sim card or bundle for roaming and you're good to go right from the start. The drivers will make you slightly anxious though, as the speeds are reckless and mobile phone use behind the wheel is rampant. Official statistics confirm that, it is not really a safe place to be a road user. Despite that, I was fine, but the driving is something the Europeans are not necessarily acquainted to. Within the country, of course you could rent a car, but due to the tremendous distances, flying is the straightforward answer. Look into the network, it is affordable and even has local low-cost options for you to truly explore the country. Whether you want to explore desert rock formations, Jeddah and Medina, the mountainous Southwest or the vast desert landscapes, you'll find plenty of things to entertain you. Oh, there is diving as well. And a fantastic food scene. And all of it is getting better facilitated and serviced, at great and competitive pricing.​

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