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Riyadh
Capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia

Riyadh

Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia.

Plan a trip to Riyadh→From Hofuf

It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of the Riyadh Governorate. Located on the eastern bank of Wadi Hanifa, the current form of the metropolis largely emerged in the 1950s as an expansion of the 18th-century walled town, following the dismantling of its defensive fortifications.

Get in

Getting to Riyadh

Riyadh is a long way from anywhere, so odds are fairly high you'll be arriving by plane.

  1. 01
    King Khaled International Airport
  2. 02
    Riyadh
  3. 03
    Central Bus Terminal
See

Worth seeing

Sightseeing in Riyadh requires a lot of transportation across long distances, and it can be unbearably hot to visit outside locations during the daytime. However, most sites stay open late at night and are often lit to be enjoyed mainly at night. Diriyah. Riyadh's top sight is the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Diriyah, the ancestral home of the Saudi royal family, which has been renovated to an inch of its life.

  1. 01
    Masmak Fortress

    The heart of old Riyadh, this was the fortress stormed by King Abdul Aziz and his men in their daring reconquest of Riyadh in 1902.

  2. 02
    Murabba Palace
  3. 03
    National Museum

    Sat Mon Wed Thu 8AM-8PM Fri 4PM-8PM Sun 8AM-2PM.

  4. 04
    As-Sufaat

    Next to the Great Mosque and the mutawwa headquarters, this nondescript expanse of cement is known by expats as Chop-Chop Square as convicts are publicly beheaded with a scimitar here.

  5. 05
    Kingdom Centre

    Undoubtedly Riyadh's most stunning piece of modern architecture, at 305 m the Kingdom Centre is the second tallest building in Saudi Arabia and quite a sight, especially when lit up at night.

Do

Things to do

West of Riyadh lies the edge of the Tuwaig Escarpment, also known as The Edge of the World. This is the main attraction around Riyadh, and should not be missed if you have the time for a half-day trip out of the city. The ideal way to visit the Edge is with a tour operator that takes you out to the Edge for the sunset. Often you will also get semi-traditional Saudi cooking served Arab picnic-style by the Edge.

  1. 01
    Dirab Golf & Country Club

    Nice layout with green and inviting grass, and the last 9 holes are even floodlit.

  2. 02
    King Fadh Sports City

    This stadium has closed for reconstruction.

  3. 03
    KSU Stadium

    Opened in 2015, this is the home ground of Al Nassr FC, who play soccer in Pro League the top tier.

  4. 04
    Prince Faisal bin Fahd Sport City

    With a capacity of 22,500, this is the home ground of Al Hilal and Al Shabab, who both play soccer in Pro League.

Eat

Where to eat

Eating out is one of the few pleasures of Riyadh — there's a pretty good selection of restaurants for various cuisines, ranging from cheap and hearty to fancy and expensive. Your best bet for cheap, filling meals are Riyadh's countless small Pakistani/Indian restaurants, which can fill you up with curry and rice for about SR11.

  1. 01
    Paragon Family Restaurant
  2. 02
    Al Shaya Persian Restaurant

    A chain of Iranian restaurants available at several locations in the city.

  3. 03
    Goodah Soos Restaurant

    2861 Abu Bakr Alrazi St.

  4. 04
    Tasters House Pinoy Restaurant

    Abu Bakr Alrazi St.

  5. 05
    Lapaz Batchoy - Sulaymaniyah Br

    Near Prince Sultan، Military Medical City Center.

How locals move

Getting around Riyadh the local way

  • Get aroundFlat-fare minibuses (SR3) rumble the streets of Riyadh, but these are mostly used by laborers.

From Wikivoyage: Riyadh, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.

Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons (see file page), Wikimedia Commons.