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The Atlas Obscura Guide To Saudi Arabia

25 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Saudi Arabia

Updated October 21, 2022

Cities

Unusual Attractions in Saudi Arabia

Hegra, Saudi Arabia

Mada'in Salih

The remote tomb known as Qasr al-Farid is carved right into a giant Saudi Arabian boulder.

Al Ula, Saudi Arabia

Mada'in Saleh

Ancient Nabatean caravan city filled with desert tombs.

Al Ula, Saudi Arabia

Al 'Ula

Within the Saudi Arabian desert lies a 2,000-year-old ghost town made of stone and mud.

Bidah Valley, Saudi Arabia

Thee Ain Ancient Village

Village of slate houses, built on a white marble outcrop.

Saudi Arabia

The Edge of the World

These towering cliffs jut dramatically from the middle of a barren desert.

Saudi Arabia

Mount Horeb

Site where Moses may have received the Ten Commandments.

Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Eve's Tomb

An archaeological site believed to be the burial place of the "mother of us all."

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Tuwaiq Palace Heart Tent

This mesmerizing, colorful structure looks like a tent made from stained glass.

See All 25 Things To Do in Saudi Arabia

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Stories About Saudi Arabia

These Carved Camels Are the Oldest Life-Sized Reliefs in World

The ancient sculptures in Saudi Arabia were made when the desert was green and camels were wild.

October 6, 2021

Is the Red Sea Really the Red Ocean?

It's complicated.

by Gemma Tarlach

A Desert Oasis Hints at a Long History of Resilience and Exploration

On the Arabian Peninsula, Jubbah holds clues to how humans adapted in the past.

by Gemma Tarlach

How a 'Flying Photographer' Sees the World From Above

The perspective made George Steinmetz an “accidental environmentalist.”

The Middle East Is Dotted With Thousands of Puzzling Kite-Shaped Structures

Some of them are comparable in size to the famous Nazca Lines in Peru.

by Robin George Andrews

January 22, 2019

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