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Update April 12, 2024

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Saudi Arabia Travel Advisory

Travel advisory january 24, 2024, saudi arabia - level 3: reconsider travel.

Updated after periodic review to provide information on the risk of arrest due to social media use and the importation of prohibited items.

Reconsider travel to Saudi Arabia due to  the threat of missile and drone attacks.   Exercise increased caution in Saudi Arabia due to  terrorism, the risk of arrest based on social media activity, and importation of prohibited items.  Some areas have increased risk.  Read the entire Travel Advisory.

Do not travel to the following locations due to the threat of  missile and drone attacks  and  terrorism :

• Within 50 miles of the Saudi-Yemen border, as well as the cities of Abha, Jizan, Najran, and Khamis Mushayt;
• Abha airport;
• Qatif in the Eastern Province and its suburbs, including Awamiyah.

Country Summary : U.S. government personnel under Chief of Mission responsibility must adhere to the above travel restrictions.  As such, the U.S. government has limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in these locations.

Missile and drone attacks perpetrated by Iran and Iran-supported militant groups have occurred as recently as September 2023.  The Islamic Republic of Iran has in the past supplied Yemen-based Houthis and regional proxy groups with weapons to conduct destructive and sometimes lethal attacks using drones, missiles, and rockets against a variety of Saudi sites, including critical infrastructure, civilian airports, military bases, and energy facilities throughout the country, as well as vessels in Red Sea shipping lanes.  Past attacks were aimed at targets throughout Saudi Arabia including Riyadh, Jeddah, Dhahran, Jizan, Khamis Mushayt, the civilian airport in Abha, Al Kharj, military installations in the south, as well as oil and gas facilities.

Debris from intercepted drones and missiles has also represented a significant risk to civilian areas and populations in the recent past.  Militant groups have threatened to conduct attacks against locations in Saudi Arabia.  U.S. citizens living and working near military bases and critical civilian infrastructure, particularly near the border with Yemen, are at heightened risk if missile, drone, or rocket attacks reoccur.

Terrorism continues to be a concern in Saudi Arabia.  Attacks can occur with little or no warning.  Past attacks have targeted tourist locations, large gatherings, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, and local government facilities.  Terrorists are also known to time attacks around major holidays and/or in response to military operations.  Terrorists have targeted both Saudi and international interests, mosques and other religious sites (both Sunni and Shia), and places frequented by U.S. citizens.

Be advised that social media commentary – including past comments – which Saudi authorities may deem critical, offensive, or disruptive to public order, could lead to arrest .  This may include posting, re-posting, or liking comments about Saudi institutions, policies, and public life.  U.S. citizens have been convicted for social media activity under Saudi laws concerning cybercrime, terrorism, and disrupting public order.  Punishment for social media activity has included prison sentences of up to 45 years in some cases.  Saudi courts do not necessarily consider the timeframe of the posts or the location from which they were made to be material to these cases.

The importation of drugs (including marijuana), drug paraphernalia, alcohol, weapons, pork, or any materials that could be considered pornographic or suggestive, is prohibited.   Penalties for drug possession, consumption, and trafficking are severe by U.S. standards.  An extensive list of banned items is available on our Saudi Arabia country information page .

Due to risks to civil aviation operating within the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman region, including Saudi Arabia, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued an advisory Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM).  For more information U.S. citizens should consult the  Federal Aviation Administration’s Prohibitions, Restrictions and Notices .

Read the  country information page  for additional information on travel to Saudi Arabia.

If you decide to travel to Saudi Arabia:

• Visit our website for information on  travel to high-risk areas .
• Stay alert in large crowds and/or locations frequented by foreign nationals.
• Obtain comprehensive medical insurance that includes medical evacuation.
• Review local laws and conditions before traveling, including our Saudi Arabia country information on arrest notification and the Department of State’s general information on arrests of U.S. citizens abroad .
• Enroll in the  Smart Traveler Enrollment Program  ( STEP ) to receive Alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
• Follow the Department of State on  Facebook  and  Twitter .
• Follow the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia on  Facebook  and  Twitter .
• Review the  Country Security Report   for Saudi Arabia.
• Visit the CDC page for the latest  Travel Health Information  related to your travel.
• Prepare a contingency plan for emergency situations. Review the  Traveler’s Checklist .

Yemen Border, Abha airport, and Qatif in the Eastern Province and its suburbs, including Awamiyah – Level 4: Do Not Travel

Militants in Yemen have attacked Saudi border towns and other sites in Saudi Arabia with armed drones, missiles, and rockets .  Civilians that are near the border with Yemen are especially at risk.   Terrorist groups continue plotting possible attacks in Saudi Arabia, including in Qatif.

The U.S. government has limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens within 50 miles of the Saudi-Yemen border as U.S. government personnel and their families are restricted from travel to this area.

Visit our website for information on  travel to high-risk areas

Travel Advisory Levels

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Saudi Arabia

Warnings and insurance.

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office ( FCDO ) provides advice about risks of travel to help British nationals make informed decisions. Find out more about FCDO travel advice . 

Areas where FCDO advises against travel  

Your travel insurance could be invalidated if you travel against FCDO advice. 

Saudi Arabia-Yemen border  

FCDO advises against:  

• all travel to within 10km of the border with Yemen 
• all but essential travel to areas between 10km and 80km from the border with Yemen 

Abha International Airport  

FCDO advises against all but essential travel to Abha International Airport in Asir province.  

Find out more about why FCDO advises against travel .

Arriving in Saudi Arabia from Sudan 

If you’re arriving in Saudi Arabia from Sudan, contact the Saudi authorities for the latest entry clearance procedures. See the latest  Sudan travel advice  for information about how to leave Port Sudan.

Before you travel 

No travel can be guaranteed safe. Read all the advice in this guide and see support for British nationals abroad for information about specific travel topics. 

Follow and contact FCDO travel on Twitter , Facebook and Instagram . You can also sign up to get email notifications when this advice is updated. 

Travel insurance 

If you choose to travel, research your destinations and get appropriate travel insurance . Insurance should cover your itinerary, planned activities and expenses in an emergency. 

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Blinken to travel to Saudi Arabia amid renewed push for a hostage deal

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Saudi Arabia this week for meetings with regional partners, including Palestinian, Egyptian and Qatari leaders, to discuss efforts for securing the release of Israeli hostages and a cease-fire in Gaza, the State Department said in a statement . After participating in meetings of the World Economic Forum and Gulf Cooperation Council in Riyadh, he will continue on to Jordan and Israel later in the week.

The foreign ministers of Britain, Germany and France are also expected at the WEF meeting, alongside the Saudi foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud, WEF President Borge Brende said at a news conference . “There is some new momentum now in the talks around the hostages and also for a possible way out of the impasse that we are faced in Gaza,” he said.

Blinken traveled to the country in March to discuss a U.S. plan to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, but leaders in Riyadh have said any such deal would require a pathway to a Palestinian state — a scenario rejected by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

On this visit, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said, “pushing for this temporary cease-fire” would be “right at the top of the list for Secretary Blinken.” Kirby told ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday that Blinken will “also be talking to the Israelis about their intentions and their thinking on Rafah military operations and where they are in the planning stages for that.” U.S. officials have repeatedly voiced opposition to a major military operation in Rafah, in southern Gaza, which Israel says is home to Hamas ’s last intact battalions but is also a refuge for more than a million displaced civilians.

Egyptian officials, who visited Israel on Friday for talks on a proposed cease-fire deal, are optimistic about the prospects of a truce being reached, according to a former Egyptian official with knowledge of the talks who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive subject. The former official said Israeli cabinet members accepted “for the first time” the idea of a long-lasting halt to the fighting and expressed willingness to hold off on attacking Rafah if a deal can be reached. The proposal is now with Hamas, he said.

On Sunday, President Biden reaffirmed the United States’ “ironclad commitment to Israel’s security” in a call with Netanyahu. In a statement, Biden demanded that Hamas release its remaining hostages to “secure a ceasefire and relief for the people of Gaza.” The two leaders also discussed “increases in the delivery of humanitarian assistance into Gaza including through preparations to open new northern crossings starting this week.”

In Israel, concern is increasing about the possibility of arrest warrants being issued by the International Criminal Court against Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes in Gaza, Israeli media reported.

Netanyahu appeared to address the reports Friday, writing on social media that “Israel will never accept any attempt by the ICC to undermine its inherent right of self-defense.” Israel and the United States do not accept the jurisdiction of the ICC, but member states would be obliged to carry out arrests of anyone in their jurisdiction who faced a warrant. On Sunday, Foreign Minister Israel Katz instructed all Israeli embassies worldwide “to prepare immediately for a wave of severe antisemitism,” should the ICC issue warrants for senior Israeli officials.

Here’s what else to know

Blinken’s visit comes amid a renewed push for a deal with Hamas , which released videos of three hostages last week, including two Israeli Americans. The latest video, released Saturday, shows U.S.-born Keith Siegel, 64, and Omri Miran, 47, who were taken hostage on Oct. 7. The footage has added to pressure on Israel to negotiate a deal for their release.

Aid group World Central Kitchen said Sunday it would resume its operations in Gaza, following the deaths of seven staff members this month by an Israeli military strike. The D.C.-based nonprofit led by celebrity chef José Andrés said in a statement that a Palestinian team would begin delivering food Monday, including in the north of the enclave, where the hunger crisis is most acute. The group said it had 276 trucks with the equivalent of almost 8 million meals ready to enter through the Rafah crossing and will also send trucks into Gaza from Jordan.

Pro-Palestinian protests unfolded outside the White House correspondents’ dinner on Saturday night , with demonstrators posing as slain Gazan journalists outside the Washington Hilton. They laid out press vests to honor media workers who have been killed in the enclave and unfurled a Palestinian flag out of a window at the venue.

France’s foreign minister arrived in Lebanon on Sunday, in a bid to “pursue the objective of peace and stability in the region,” Stéphane Séjourné tweeted . Séjourné praised the United Nations’ peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon as he inspected troops. Reuters has reported that France is trying to ease tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, which have escalated their tit-for-tat border attacks in recent weeks.

At least 34,454 people have been killed and 77,575 injured in Gaza since the war began, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants but says the majority of the dead are women and children. Israel estimates that about 1,200 people were killed in Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack, including more than 300 soldiers, and says 261 soldiers have been killed since the launch of its military operation in Gaza.

Claire Parker, Lior Soroka, Hannah Allam and Steve Hendrix contributed to this report.

Israel-Gaza war

The Israel-Gaza war has gone on for six months, and tensions have spilled into the surrounding region .

The war: On Oct. 7, Hamas militants launched an unprecedented cross-border attack on Israel that included the taking of civilian hostages at a music festival . (See photos and videos of how the deadly assault unfolded ). Israel declared war on Hamas in response, launching a ground invasion that fueled the biggest displacement in the region since Israel’s creation in 1948 .

Gaza crisis: In the Gaza Strip, Israel has waged one of this century’s most destructive wars , killing tens of thousands and plunging at least half of the population into “ famine-like conditions. ” For months, Israel has resisted pressure from Western allies to allow more humanitarian aid into the enclave .

U.S. involvement: Despite tensions between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and some U.S. politicians , including President Biden, the United States supports Israel with weapons , funds aid packages , and has vetoed or abstained from the United Nations’ cease-fire resolutions.

History: The roots of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and mistrust are deep and complex, predating the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948 . Read more on the history of the Gaza Strip .

• Six months of the Israel-Gaza war: A timeline of key moments April 7, 2024 Six months of the Israel-Gaza war: A timeline of key moments April 7, 2024
• Colombia is the latest and largest country to sever ties with Israel May 1, 2024 Colombia is the latest and largest country to sever ties with Israel May 1, 2024
• Hamas touts ‘positive spirit’ in cease-fire talks, will travel to Cairo May 2, 2024 Hamas touts ‘positive spirit’ in cease-fire talks, will travel to Cairo May 2, 2024

Saudi Arabia wants big spenders for the first part of its Neom megaproject

• Saudi Arabia plans to open the first part of its Neom megaproject this year.
• Sindalah, an island resort, is aimed at a luxury clientele and the global yachting community.
• Saudi Arabia is pushing to distinguish itself in the high-end luxury market to compete with Dubai.

Saudi Arabia plans to open the first region of its Neom megacity by the end of the year.

The island of Sindalah will provide the first physical glimpse into the ambitious desert project, which has reportedly been scaled back from its initial plans due to financial struggles .

Developers say they want the island to be an "exclusive gateway to the stunning Red Sea," adding that they planned to cater to luxury clientele and the global yachting community.

Neom recently ended investor roadshows in China by confirming the luxury island resort would open this year, Arab News reported . It's set to have three luxury hotels, a golf course and sports club, beach club, marina, and dozens of restaurants and shops.

In January Marriott International said it had signed an agreement to bring Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy to Sindalah. Chadi Hauch of the hotel operator said the concept was a "great fit" for the island and reflected a "growing desire for premium and luxury apartment-style accommodation" from travelers.

The following month Saudi music entertainment company, MDLBEAST, announced it would operate the Sindalah Beach Club on the island.

Vives, Neom's chief urban planning and islands officer, said in a press release that Sindalah will be a "new model for luxury travel and living."

Capturing the luxury tourism market

The Saudi government's focus on the luxury market is an attempt to distinguish itself from nearby Dubai, part of the United Arab Emirates.

Related stories

"Dubai goes for the mass market of people wanting to go and have fun in the winter," Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, a fellow for the Middle East at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy, told Business Insider.

"The Saudis are increasingly pushing themselves toward a high-end luxury market, which is what Sindalah and, to some extent, some of the other Red Sea projects are going to cater for," he said.

Saudi Arabia hasn't been shy about its tourism aspirations, claiming it aims to attract between 100 million and 150 million visitors by 2030 .

However, Dubai is a formidable competitor. It already has a 20-year head start in the tourism race, both in terms of infrastructure and aspirational appeal. It also has Emirates, the popular long-haul airline that brings tens of millions of people through Dubai annually.

If Neom's ambitious plans become a reality, the Saudis are betting that their megaprojects can attract some high-end travelers from the glitz and glamor of its neighbor.

Managing ambition

Developing luxury resorts like Sindalah may also help Saudi Arabia encourage tourism sooner by starting smaller.

Sindalah is one of the more realistic elements of Neom's futuristic plans . It pales in comparison to structures like the mirrored "horizontal skyscraper" known as The Line.

"It's less ambitious in scope and scale," Ulrichsen said. "That might mean that it's more realistic to open first."

Recent reports have indicated the Saudis may be facing a harsh reality when it comes to f inancing some of the megaprojects included in Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030 project .

Previous deadlines have already been pushed back for some of Neom's more ambitious projects.

Earlier this month, Bloomberg reported that the Gulf Kingdom had reduced estimates for the number of people expected to live in The Line .

The report said the realities of some of the trillion-dollar investments included in the Vision 2030 project were starting to cause alarm at the highest level of the country's government.

Neom did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Watch: Marriott International's Tina Edmundson tells Insider that the travel mindset has changed since the pandemic

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