Things You Should Know Before Traveling To Saudi Arabia

The Middle East is one of the few places where travelers often feel intimidated about going to. It's common knowledge that going to the wrong country, or even the wrong region, without knowing customs can get you into serious trouble.

In no place is this more apparent than Saudi Arabia, where culture and religion are king. If you are a Westerner going to Saudi Arabia for the first time, you need to realize that you need to study up on its history and culture. As travel advisors will tell you, there are many things you should know before traveling to Saudi Arabia.

Here are the most important ones to remember, per anthropologists and travel advisors.

You need to dress respectfully, especially if you are female.

One of the things you should know before traveling to Saudi Arabia is that dress is incredibly important for both men and women. The Saudi culture respects conservative dress that covers up your arms, legs, and chest area — and that's true for both men and women.

Women, in particular, should take care to dress modestly. Exposing your arms or legs, or worse, your chest may get you serious jail time, harassment, or worse. You also are going to want to cover your hair.

Additionally, you should not wear red during Valentine's Day since official policy considers this a haram.

Another issue many Westerners do not realize is that wearing a traditional Saudi dress as a non-Saudi is considered to be an insult. It's cultural appropriation, and it's a good way to start an argument. This is particularly true if you're male.

Women cannot travel single, and will have to obey a lot of rules specific to them.

Saudi laws require a mahram to be around a woman at all times when she's traveling in public. A mahram can be an older woman or a male relative. Ideally, it's her husband.

Mahrams also have a huge impact on how you get around as a female. Women also are not allowed to drive, so you will need to have a male companion if you are female.

Also, it's worth noting that you will need to show officials your marriage license if you are traveling as a couple. Unmarried travel can be grounds for visa rejection.

Abayas are mandatory coverings for women traveling in Saudi Arabia. No exceptions. This goes back to the whole modest dress issue.

Speaking of abayas, you might also want to take note that public displays of affection, or even hand-holding, is not acceptable here. Hands off, even if you are traveling with your spouse!

Lastly, women are not allowed in the gym — nor are they allowed to exercise, dance, or sing in public. So, if you're female, you will have to think about that as well.

Porn, non-Islamic religious items, alcohol and pork are all banned.

Perhaps the most important things you should know before traveling to Saudi Arabia is how strict bans are on items that fly in the face of Islam. It's really strict, and you are expected to follow along with it.

Saudi Arabia is insanely strict when it comes to these bans, and having these items on you can land you in prison — or even get you killed. These items go against Islam, and that means they are declared haram.

Don't think about scanning porn or Christian pics and putting them on your phone, either. Officials can and will scan your phone and laptop, and confiscate any items that have banned material on it. They also will turn you away from the country at the airport if they find stuff like that, too.

Photography might not be your best way to keep the memories alive.

This is one of those things they don't tell you about Saudi Arabia, but still remains one of the things you should know before traveling to Saudi Arabia. People in this country are very leery of photographs, and there's actually a national ban on photographing government buildings, mosques, and palaces.

Moreover, if they catch you taking a photograph of a local, it could be viewed as street harassment. So, overall, it's not a good idea to bring a camera to Saudi Arabia.

There's also really no nightlife here, either.

One of the things you should know before traveling to Saudi Arabia is that you shouldn't expect to party hard here. There are no night clubs, no cinemas, no theaters, and no loud, crazy dances. These kinds of things are viewed as a way to potentially lead people astray from Islam.

Even playing music in public is a banned practice in Saudi Arabia. Most entertainment is done in the form of private dinner parties or fancy restaurant dinners, and you're expected to go home early, too.

Make sure you have all the paperwork in place before you go.

This is one of those things you should know before traveling to Saudi Arabia — or anywhere else, really. Make sure you're approved for a travel visa, that you have a travel partner, that you know why you're going, and that you have enough cash to make it through.

Visas can take a while to clear, so be patient if you haven't gotten much information from it yet. Moreover, it's also a good idea to get traveler's insurance when going to this country.

Worshipping any religion other than Islam is also banned.

This is one of those things you need to know before traveling to Saudi Arabia, because not knowing this can get you in serious trouble. If you go to Saudi Arabia, you are expected to respect and abide by the rules of Islam — even if you are not Muslim.

If you must worship another religion, do so in private and tell no one.