Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Thursday, Oct 02, 2025

Expats beat the heat and venture out to explore Saudi Arabia

Expats beat the heat and venture out to explore Saudi Arabia

Expatriates residing in the Saudi capital Riyadh are making full use of the opportunity to explore Saudi tourist attractions and are venturing out to beat the searing heat, seeking cooler climates.
As many expatriates head home during the summer months to spend quality time with family and loved ones, this year has been an exceptional one with the restriction of travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic and suspension of international flights, but that has not stopped some from taking advantage of the situation to explore their second home.

Their time spent in the Kingdom has provided many with an opportunity to see Saudi heritage and culture, breathtaking scenic beauty, and sample outdoor activities and delicious local food.

As tourism in Saudi Arabia begins to transform in line with Vision 2030, and the world discovers more of this land of adventure and opportunity, residents of large cities like Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam are looking forward and touring unexplored destinations.

Dr. Abdur Raheem Khan, an Indian expatriate working in Riyadh, told Arab News: “Apart from financial impact, pandemics end with negative aftermaths like anxiety and depression. Other than getting closer to nature, nothing could be better to keep away post COVID-19 stress.

“After the lockdown ended, following all precautionary measures, my family and I went to explore other cities in the Kingdom besides Riyadh,” he said.

“During this summer holiday, we traveled to the northern city of Hail. We visited Nufood, Qariyat-Al-Na’i, the sites of Hail’s rock art, one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Kingdom, Hatem Tai Stove, and the Heritage Museum. It left us surprised that we hadn’t seem these sites before during our decade-long stay in the Kingdom,” Khan added.

“As a resident, in future, I would prefer to explore more indoor locations instead of planning an outdoor trip, as it is going to give me more with less cost and time,” he added.

Waqar Asif, a Pakistani national in Riyadh, visited Abha to take relief from the searing heat in the capital.

He told Arab News: “This year due to the coronavirus pandemic, I was unable to fly back to my home country for Eid Al-Adha, and decided to visit local tourism sites in Saudi Arabia, and was surprised to see such.”

Notably, Saudi Arabia is home to several historical and archaeological sites listed in the UNESCO World Heritage list, which includes Madain Saleh in Madinah, Al-Turaif district, Diriyah in Riyadh, Historic Jeddah, Hail Rock Arts and Al-Ahsa Oasis, as well as the two holy cities of Islam, Makkah and Madinah.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
Nvidia and Abu Dhabi’s TII Launch First AI-&-Robotics Lab in the Middle East
UK, Canada, and Australia Officially Recognise Palestine in Historic Shift
New Eye Drops Show Promise in Replacing Reading Glasses for Presbyopia
Dubai Property Boom Shows Strain as Flippers Get Buyer’s Remorse
Top AI Researchers Are Heading Back to China as U.S. Struggles to Keep Pace
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
UAE-US Stargate Project Poised to Make Abu Dhabi a Global AI Powerhouse
Trump and Starmer Clash Over UK Recognition of Palestinian State Amid State Visit
Saudi Arabia cracks down on music ‘lounges’ after conservative backlash
Saudi Arabia Signs ‘Strategic Mutual Defence’ Pact with Pakistan, Marking First Arab State to Gain Indirect Access to Nuclear Strike Capabilities in the Region
Sam Altman sells the 'Wedding Estate' in Hawaii for 49 million dollars
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
Kuwait opens bidding for construction of three cities to ease housing crunch.
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Did the Houthis disrupt the internet in the Middle East? Submarine cables cut in the Red Sea
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Iran Faces Escalating Water Crisis as Protests Spread
More Than Half a Million Evacuated as Typhoon Kajiki Heads for Vietnam
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
×