Saudi Arabia

Is Saudi Arabia safe to visit?

On crime, mostly yes: UNODC recorded 0.80 homicides per 100,000Homicide rateThe number of people killed on purpose each year for every 100,000 residents. It is the most comparable crime figure between countries.More in the glossary people in 2024, and theft against visitors is uncommon. On conflict, 2026 has been the worst year for Saudi Arabia in a decade. Iran has fired missiles and drones at Saudi cities and energy sites since March, and Houthi forces in Yemen have attacked southern and western cities since July.

On 8 October 2026 the UK began advising against all but essential travel to Riyadh province, as well as Aseer, Najran and Jizan provinces and the city of Taif. The US rates the country Level 3 (reconsider travel). We score Saudi Arabia 67, below Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, because the attacks are killing civilians and now reach the capital's airport.

Houthi and Iranian attacks in 2026

The US advisoryUS travel advisoryThe US State Department's rating of each country from Level 1 (exercise normal precautions) to Level 4 (do not travel).More in the glossary, updated on 15 September, says Iran has launched missile and drone attacks on cities, infrastructure, airports, military bases, diplomatic and energy facilities across Saudi Arabia since the US-Iran war began on 28 February. The UK lifted its warnings for Riyadh and the Eastern Province on 18 June, after a US-Iran memorandum of understanding.

A second front then opened in the south. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says that since 13 July the Houthis have launched missiles and drones at several Saudi locations, including Abha, Jizan, Najran, Riyadh, Taif, Jeddah and Yanbu. According to the Saudi-led coalition, attacks on 8 September injured at least 73 people in Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Najran, and attacks on 14 September injured 13 more. On 17 September, debris from an intercepted drone killed one person and injured two in Taif, Saudi Civil Defense said. On 19 September Saudi air defences intercepted a Houthi ballistic missile aimed at Riyadh, and civil defence issued alerts in the capital for the first time in this wave.

In October the attacks turned to airports. The General Authority of Civil Aviation said that strikes on Abha International Airport on 6 October and King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on 7 October killed three people and injured 36. Two women from Morocco and Algeria died at Abha, where 28 people were hurt, and a Sudanese resident died in Riyadh, where five Saudis, two Egyptians and a Pakistani were injured. The Houthis said they used drones against Riyadh and ballistic missiles and drones against Abha. The UK extended its warning to Riyadh province the next day, and on 9 October added advice for travelling to airports: check that your flight is confirmed before you leave, and stay alert in the terminal.

At sea, Iran has stepped up attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz. The Joint Maritime Information Center counted five merchant ships struck there between 3 and 6 October, and on 7 October drones hit a tanker in the central Gulf. A US naval blockade of Iranian ports remains in force. Saudi Arabia's Red Sea port of Yanbu, where loadings resumed after strikes on the East-West pipeline in September, reported a possible attack on 1 October.

The practical advice from the FCDO: expect further attacks on airports, follow Saudi Civil Defence alerts on your phone, keep away from airports, ports, oil installations and military sites when you can, do not photograph or share images of incidents, and shelter in an interior room if an alert sounds. Airports near the Yemeni border can close at short notice.

Where the no-go areas are

As of 8 October 2026, the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary advises against:

• All travel within 10 km of the border with Yemen.
• All but essential travel to Riyadh, Aseer (including Abha and Khamis Mushait), Najran and Jizan provinces, and to Taif city and Taif International Airport.

Jeddah, Mecca, Medina, AlUla, Tabuk and the Eastern Province are outside these zones. Travelling against FCDO advice can void travel insurance, so check your policy before you book anything in Riyadh.

Laws, detention and exit bans

The US gives two other reasons for caution. Saudi authorities have detained US citizens over social media activity, including old posts made outside the country, and exit bans linked to unpaid fines, family disputes or labour cases can keep people in the country for years. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary warns that public comments on regional conflicts can be treated as a national security issue, and that holding two passports in your name is illegal. Public affection, swearing and rude gestures can bring fines, prison or deportation.

Roads and heat

WHO estimatesWHO road-death estimateThe World Health Organization's estimate of road traffic deaths per 100,000 people in a country, adjusted for deaths that police statistics miss.More in the glossary 18.5 road deaths per 100,000 people in 2021, the figure we score on. National counts have fallen sharply since, from 28.8 per 100,000 people in 2016 to 12.05 in 2025, according to the Ministerial Committee for Traffic Safety, when 4,438 people died. That is still two to three times the rate in Qatar or the UAE. Following too closely and sudden swerving cause most crashes. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary advises wearing seatbelts, keeping to major roads, and crossing the desert in convoy and in daylight. Traffic fines are logged against your passport on the Absher system.

Heat is the main natural danger: summer temperatures can pass 50°C, and pilgrims walking between holy sites are most exposed. Winter storms can flood city streets, especially in Jeddah; call civil defence on 998. Hospitals in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam are good, but care in small towns is basic.

How to stay safe in Saudi Arabia

• Check the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary and US advice the day you book and again before you fly; the no-go zones changed twice in three weeks. Confirm your flight before you set off for the airport.
• Base trips in Jeddah, AlUla or the Red Sea coast rather than Riyadh or the south-west while the attacks continue.
• Keep your social media clean of comments on Saudi politics, religion and regional wars.
• Pay any traffic fines before you leave to avoid an exit ban.
• Carry water and plan outdoor sightseeing for early morning between May and September.

How we scored it

Conflict (35) drags the score down: Houthi and Iranian attacks are killing and injuring civilians, including at the airports of Riyadh and Abha in October, and the UK warns against non-essential trips to the capital region. The weighted average is 67, below the cap of 70 (conflict + 35). Violent crime (95) and petty crime (85) are strong. Road safety (50) uses WHO's 2021 estimate of 18.5 deaths per 100,000, raised a few points for the national rate of 12 in 2025, much improved but still high.