{"id":2455,"date":"2014-09-12T09:00:27","date_gmt":"2014-09-12T09:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.listenandlearn.org\/blog\/?p=2455"},"modified":"2014-09-12T15:23:30","modified_gmt":"2014-09-12T15:23:30","slug":"how-to-be-a-good-tourist-in-saudi-arabia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.listenandlearn.org\/blog\/how-to-be-a-good-tourist-in-saudi-arabia\/","title":{"rendered":"How to be a Good Tourist in Saudi Arabia"},"content":{"rendered":"

Saudi Arabia is an interesting and unique tourist destination \u2013\u00a0some would call it one of the last frontiers for the tourism market. It\u2019s not often explored by tourists, though you may find yourself in Saudi Arabia for business. While the kingdom is culturally rich, it may have a few pitfalls for those that are unfamiliar with the norms. That\u2019s why we\u2019ve created a list of things to keep in mind while you\u2019re in Saudi Arabia:<\/p>\n

\"Picture<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Prayer Police or Muttawa<\/i>.<\/h3>\n

Saudi Arabia is an Islamic country, which means that everything revolves around the 5 daily prayers. Most stores and business close for around half an hour at each of these prayer times, and the the Muttawa patrol public areas, looking for people who are not in the mosque for prayer. The best thing to keep in mind is simply to not be on the streets during prayer time \u2013\u00a0everything is closed in any case.<\/p>\n

Hospitals, airports, and taxis will still be open for business throughout prayer times.<\/i><\/h4>\n

Remember Ramadan, or the month of fasting.<\/h3>\n

Ramadan is the month of fasting in the Islamic calendar and regardless of which religion you follow (if you follow any), you will be expected to fast during the daylight hours like the rest of the inhabitants of Saudi Arabia\u2026 well, at least in public. From sunrise to sunset, you\u2019ll be expected to abstain from all liquids, all food and also from tobacco (no smoking). \u00a0Restaurants won\u2019t serve food during the daylight hours, and some hotels may give you room service, but on the whole you\u2019ll probably have to smuggle your own food around for the day. When the sun sets, enjoy sweet drinks (like jellab<\/i>, made from molasses) and dates, which are usually used to break the fast before the real meals begin.<\/p>\n

When you do buy your meal, remember that tipping 10 percent or more is considered customary, so don\u2019t skimp!<\/i><\/h4>\n

Watch what you\u2019ve packed.<\/h3>\n

Saudi Arabia has some pretty intense restrictions on what can be brought into the country. You cannot bring in any alcohol, any pork or pork products, non-Islamic religious material, or any kind of pornography. \u201cPornography\u201d is very loosely defined, and things like swimsuit calendars, or racy photos could be confiscated.<\/p>\n

Any device that may contain illegal images (like your computer, iPod or similar pieces of equipment) will consequently become the property of Saudi Arabian Customs. \u00a0<\/i><\/h4>\n

Let\u2019s take that alcohol thing a step further\u2026<\/h3>\n

Saudi Arabia is a dry country.<\/i><\/h4>\n

That means no alcohol is sold or consumed in public. Think of the US during prohibition; and in that same vein think of the speak easy. You \u2018may\u2019 find alcohol on closed compounds housing only expatriates, military officials or the like. In fact you may even find a pub with homebrew on tap. How you get into these compounds is your own business, but understand that alcohol is not readily available nor is it ok for you to be drinking in public. It\u2019s also not ok to brew your own at home \u2013 in fact it\u2019s illegal and the penalty can be harsh.<\/p>\n

When they say \u2018No Photos!\u2019 they mean it.<\/h3>\n

If at any point you feel like you shouldn\u2019t be taking photos, go with your gut because you\u2019re probably right. Don\u2019t take any photos of government buildings, airports \u2013 if you do, you may be arrested for espionage. Don\u2019t take any photos of Saudi men without their permission and definitely don\u2019t take any photos of Saudi women.<\/p>\n

The Muttawa don\u2019t take kindly to those who break the no-photo rule, and you may find your camera confiscated or destroyed.<\/i><\/h4>\n

If you\u2019re heading to Saudi Arabia, Arabic will definitely help gain you the respect of the countrymen, and will be incredibly important for making a successful transition in the country. Why not\u00a0contact us<\/a> to see what Arabic courses we have available now?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Saudi Arabia is an interesting and unique tourist destination \u2013\u00a0some would call it one of the last frontiers for the tourism market. It\u2019s not often explored by tourists, though you may find yourself in Saudi Arabia for business. While the kingdom is culturally rich, it may have a few pitfalls for those that are unfamiliar(\u2026)<\/p>\n

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\n\t \t\t\t\tCONTINUE READING »<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":2457,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[236,17,28],"tags":[318,42,66,365,364,72,44],"class_list":["post-2455","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-must-know","category-news-politics-religion-history-law","category-culture-travel","tag-arabic","tag-culture","tag-language","tag-religion","tag-saudi-arabia","tag-tourist","tag-travel"],"yoast_head":"\nHow to be a Good Tourist in Saudi Arabia<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Heading to the beautiful Kingdom of Saudi Arabia? 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