Riyad

Do

Although few Saudis play golf, there are surprisingly good golf courses around. The best one is the 18-holes course in a good 30 minutes drive west of Riyadh. Nice layout with green and inviting grass, and the last 9 holes are even floodlit. They offer tennis, swimming and horse-back riding as well. There's also a quite nice 9-holes short range course connected to the Hotel Intercontinental almost in the dead centre of the city. Nice but short - also floodlit. If you travel about 20 minutes to the north-east you will find a not so nice desert course with browns instead of greens (the putting area consist of sand/oil mixture instead of grass).

Head west down the Makkah Road for 30 minutes, and you'll reach the edge of the Tuwaig Escarpment. As you make the 200-m sharp drop from the Tuwaig escarpment to Najd-proper, you will get a good feel of the desert with dunes and buttresses.

Heading northeast of the airport to the Thumama sand dunes, one can engage in "dune bashing" in 4x4 SUVs or in rented ATVs.

Prince Mohammed bin Salman Stadium and Riyadh Stadium are two new venues under construction.

Since 2018, you can enjoy one of several newly opened cinema complexes that show the latest Western, Arabic, and Indian movies, the movies shown are censored though. (Check the VOX Cinema website for detailed information of movie listings and locations.)

Red Sands Desert Tour Several tour companies offer desert trips, mostly to Ad-Dahna desert 1 hour east of Riyadh near the road towa…

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.

Drink

With alcohol and nightclubs banned, Riyadh's nightlife is infamously non-existent. Despite that however, the Riyadh is much more lively and vibrant during the night as the temperature cools. Shisha (water pipe) cafes, long banned, were finally allowed back within city limits from 2019 -- ask a local (or any taxi driver) for his favorite. Coffee shops can also be found in abundance throughout the city, particularly on Tahlia St (officially Prince Mohammed Bin Abdul Aziz St) in Olaya.

For the foreign workers - the expats - the social life can be quite (well, comparatively) rich however. There are always a good party going on in the embassy area or in one of the compounds. And at these private parties there's always a chance to find some illegal booze.

In case you run into it, especially within expat communities, Saudi champagne refers to a non-alcoholic drink, typically a mix of Sprite and apple cider.

Connect

Internet cafes can be found in the computer souq in Olaya. Riyadh is also pushing forward with its "Smart City" program, which will attempt to provide wireless access throughout the city in the major coffeeshops and hotels, particularly on Tahlia St in the downtown area.

Pretty much every place offers free Wifi. Be aware that logging in with international phone numbers will not work (Nov 2022) in most places.

Having a smart phone with internet access is essential as many services are available digital only (e.g. tickets sales).

Stay safe

thumb|Ministry of Islamic Affairs Riyadh is more conservative than Jeddah or the Eastern Province. Women mostly cover themselves with an abaya (available in shops everywhere in Riyadh) but covering the face has become less common as of 2018. Read, understand and follow the guidelines in the Saudi Arabia article to stay out of trouble.

LGBT rights are not recognized in the kingdom and public displays of affection, (For both LGBT and straight couples) are frowned on and might lead to criminal prosecutions.

In 2002-2004, Riyadh was the site of numerous terrorist attacks on Westerners, including shootings, car bombings and kidnappings, culminating in the May 12, 2003 compound bombings that killed 35 and injured over 160. In response, Saudi security forces cracked down brutally, and there have been no terrorist attacks in Riyadh since 2004. Security remains very tight though, particularly at housing compounds for foreigners, and police and army units, often heavily armed, are a common sight in the city.

Although Riyadh is sometimes alleged to have one of the lowest crime rates in the world, standard precautions should be taken. The most significant danger to you is driving. Most drivers originate from areas in developing countries and the Middle East which lack traffic laws, driving schools, or even roads for that matter. It's a 'driving culture' where seat belts, mirrors, lane stripes, turn signals and speed limits are ignored. A four-lane highway can easily transform into a s…

Respect

Riyadh can be a challenging destination to live and work in. Some tips for easier adaptation: Drive yourself, or at least arrange a regular cabbie. This is easier, safer and quite possibly cheaper than relying on taxis for transport. Socializing with the family-oriented Saudis is virtually impossible, so get in touch with the local expat community if you want to have any semblance of a social life. A network of people from different nationalities will allow you better knowledge of (and access to) embassies and private parties. Try to get out of Riyadh on the weekends for a change of venue. Though regulations for single males to enter shopping malls have been loosened, one quickly runs out of options without pre-planning private events. Respect Islam and abide by the country's strict Islamic laws. Although rare, there are cases of Westerners arrested, deported and receiving corporal punishment for showing signs of disrespect to Islam, Saudi culture, or the royal family. Expect no leniency if you are Muslim, South Asian or Southeast Asian. Riyadh is one of the strictest cities in Saudi Arabia.