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The Atlas Obscura Guide To Saudi Arabia

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

Updated February 24, 2025

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History & Culture 10
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Architecture 6
Archaeology 5
Deserts 5
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Ancient 4
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Archaeologists believe the life-sized camel and equid reliefs were likely carved and recarved throughout the Neolithic.

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.
by Sarah Durn
The Red Sea, dividing Africa and Arabia, may be the world’s youngest ocean.

Is the Red Sea Really the Red Ocean?

It's complicated.
by Gemma Tarlach
A green smudge in a sun-baked orange expanse, the modern oasis of Jubbah was once a lake, and may have appealed to the first members of our species to leave Africa.

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
From his paraglider, Steinmetz appears to have captured a colorful, abstract mosaic made up of round tiles. In fact, these are shallow basins lined with mud, about three to five feet wide and made by hand, holding salt water that slowly evaporates to yield mineral solids, which are sold to be consumed by livestock. The colors depend on the mix of mud, algae, and salt. Teguidda-n-Tessoumt, Niger.

How a 'Flying Photographer' Sees the World From Above

The perspective made George Steinmetz an “accidental environmentalist.”
by Winnie Lee
A kite from above, taken from a balloon with a camera attached.

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

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