Entering Saudi Arabia

We woke up from our beach camping with high hopes of an early start to the border, but after watching the family settle in for a relaxed day, and marvelling at their mini washing machine and array of truck gadgets, we didn’t leave until a few hours later.

Also we slightly underestimated the Saudi border; how different could it really be from Kuwait?
After breezing through the Kuwaiti side, things at the Saudi border took a surprising turn. The queues to passport control were immense: As it was the weekend, many people were travelling to Saudi Arabia to enjoy the vast desert spaces and lower costs. We ended up stuck at the border for a few hours, but locals kept us entertained with tea and snacks. Then a border guard pulled us from the line and whisked us through the ‘VIP’ queue. Without saying much, he directed us to customs, which was equally quick / wasn't actually performed.
Just as we were ready to leave, we noticed that neither of our passports had been stamped, so we circled back to the original passport control, where we found the same guard. First shocked that we were still there, then bursting into laughter at our apparent confusion. “We don’t stamp passports or issue papers anymore,” he said. “I don’t know what borders you’ve seen, but we’re pretty modern here. You’re now free to enter Saudi Arabia.”
We pushed on and, with the sun setting, we decided to camp at the beach, letting the dust settle while gathering our thoughts and planning for the next few days.

Our first stop would be Riyadh, a 500 km ride through the empty and peaceful desert; however, with the many horror stories of Riyadh’s traffic we had heard, we decided to park our motorcycles in Dammam and catch a bus to the capital. Dammam would be an ideal parking point as it is a mere 70 km from Bahrain (our next country destination) and also along the main road to later destinations such as Qatar, UAE and finally Oman. Teary-eyed, we then parted from our bikes and left them in the hands of Rana, a friend of a friend who kindly offered us her parking space at her compound. Shedding our motorcycle identity, we blended in with civilians and boarded the five-hour bus to Riyadh...

The locals appeared conservative, women mostly with face coverings (niqab), and largely kept to themselves. However, the closer we got to Riyadh, the more women removed their face veils and headscarves. We later learned that relaxing the hijab rules was part of the wider reforms introduced by the progressive Crown Prince, which included the removal of several restrictions previously placed on women, alongside significant investment in tourism. After all, oil won't last forever, and Saudi Arabia possesses a wealth of natural resources, landscapes, and historically rich sites. But, as with many countries balancing tradition and modernity, change reaches rural communities more slowly than the capital, hence why some women were still wearing veils when they boarded the bus.

For our more interested readers, here is a highly summarised history of Saudi Arabia (alternatively, just watch Lawrence of Arabia). The Arabian Peninsula was and is mostly tribal. Saudi Arabia, named after its founder Muhammad ibn Saud, a tribal leader who allied with a religious cleric, instituted a conservative religious rule to unify Arabian tribes and gain independence from the Ottomans. This process happened in two attempts, (1744–1818; 1824–1891) and finally the modern kingdom, officially established in 1932. The new nation was impoverished, relying on small-scale agriculture and pilgrim income, until oil was discovered in 1938. That brought some wealth, but the real jackpot came in 1973, when prices tripled due to the oil crisis, massively boosting the Gulf's economies. Saudi Arabia remained a conservative Islamic country until 2017, when Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman assumed major authority. Beheading is now not in public any more (but still practiced), and the prince rolled out "Vision 2030", by which social reforms (women driving, also more concerts and sport events, ...), economic diversification, and rapid urbanisation shall bring the country forward.
These reforms were impossible to miss as we rolled into Riyadh: high-rise buildings, immaculate streets, an efficient metro system, spider-web-like modern highways (making the city 99 % unwalkable), and convenience at your fingertips.

In Riyadh, we met up with RidingKismet’s friend from university days back in the UK, who has now settled in Riyadh. Arriving at the doorstep, weary and rough, our friend scooped us up and dropped us in the most comfortable and luxurious space we’ve stayed in so far. Convenience was on another level: apps for spa and salon treatments alongside the usual food delivery services. Hell, the same delivery guy could drop off your pizza, freshly brewed coffee, and camping gas from the nearest outdoor store. And although the Saudi Arabian Riyal was weaker than the Euro (1 € ≈ 4.3 SAR), prices in Riyadh were almost on a par with Paris.
Comfort tailored to the richer ones, as the above mentioned delivery guy once again might be an Indian or Pakistani mate, far away from the rights and benefits the Saudi citizens have.

Without our motorcycles, our time in Riyadh was mostly spent being actual tourists rather than epic and empty landscapes seeking riders. We hopped from museums to souks, metros to taxis, and tried as many local dishes as possible (except for camel liver - that’s still on the list). Rest day bonuses included easy access to laundry, long hot showers, and Netflix marathons. It was also Rally Dakar season, but since we left the bikes in Dammam we didn't participate, neither did we pay the 350 € ticket to access the main bivouac tent.

And now, with our multi-day rehabilitation over, it was time to face the road and kick up some more dust. Well, little dust, as the road from Dammam to Bahrain is rather short.
Next border, here we come!Read more