Saudi Arabia trivia: 48 questions and answers

Riyadh. Riyadh is the capital and largest city, in the centre of the country. Jeddah is the main port on the Red Sea, Mecca is the holiest city in Islam and Dammam is the main city on the Gulf coast.

True. True. Saudi Arabia is the largest country in the world without a permanent river. It has only wadis, dry valleys that fill with water after rain.

The Rub' al Khali (Empty Quarter). The Rub' al Khali (Empty Quarter) covers about 650,000 km² of the southern Arabian Peninsula and is the largest continuous sand desert in the world. The Sahara is in Africa, the Gobi in Asia and the Kalahari in southern Africa.

Egypt. Egypt lies across the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba. Jordan is to the north, Oman to the southeast and Yemen to the south of Saudi Arabia.

False. False. Traffic in Saudi Arabia drives on the right.

The Islamic calendar. The Hijra marks year 1 of the Islamic calendar, which is why Islamic years are often written with AH, "after the Hijra".

The proclamation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932. Saudi National Day remembers the proclamation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932. The start of the First Saudi State in 1727 is celebrated separately, on Founding Day, 22 February.

True. True. Muhammad bin Saud became ruler of Diriyah in February 1727, and since 2022, 22 February has been a public holiday called Founding Day.

Dammam. Oil gushed from the well Dammam No. 7, in the Eastern Province, on 3 March 1938. It was later nicknamed the Prosperity Well.

False. False. The Ottoman railway reached Medina in 1908, but the line to Mecca was never built, and the railway fell out of use after the First World War.

Jareesh. Jareesh, crushed wheat cooked slowly with meat and spices, was named the national dish, and maqshush the national dessert. Mandi comes from Yemen, mutabbaq is a street snack and luqaimat are fried sweets.

Spiced rice cooked with meat in one pot. Kabsa is spiced rice cooked with meat in one pot, usually chicken or lamb, with spices such as cardamom, cloves and dried black lime.

In a deep oven in the ground, with the meat hanging above the rice. Mandi is cooked in a deep oven in the ground, with the meat hanging above the rice. The oven is called a tannour, and the juices of the meat drip onto the rice. The dish comes from Yemen.

Milk. Saleeg is rice cooked slowly in chicken or lamb broth with milk, then topped with roasted meat and ghee. Taif is famous for it.

Cardamom. Cardamom is the essential spice in Arabic coffee; saffron or cloves are sometimes added too. It is served in small cups, with dates.

True. True. In January 2023 the Culinary Arts Commission named maqshush, small bites of dough served with ghee, honey or date syrup, the national dessert.

Folded. Mutabbaq means folded: thin dough is folded around a filling of meat, egg and leeks and fried. Kabsa comes from a word meaning pressed, and saleeg from a word meaning boiled.

True. True. Luqaimat, 'little mouthfuls', are crisp outside and soft inside, and are often served with Arabic coffee.

Taif. Taif, at about 1,880 m, is famous for its fragrant pink roses, which are distilled into rose oil.

Gardens. Riyadh means gardens, after the oasis orchards of date palms that surrounded the old walled town.

True. True. Mecca, the holiest city in Islam, is open only to Muslims, and signs and checkpoints on the main roads mark the boundary that non-Muslims may not cross.

The Nabataeans. The Nabataeans, who also built Petra in Jordan, carved more than 110 tombs at Hegra about 2,000 years ago. Rome took over their kingdom in AD 106.

Hegra. Hegra was listed in 2008. At-Turaif followed in 2010, Historic Jeddah in 2014 and the Al-Ahsa Oasis in 2018.

The First Saudi State. At-Turaif in Diriyah was the capital of the First Saudi State from 1727 until it was destroyed in 1818.

True. True. At Jebel Fihrayn, some 100 km northwest of Riyadh by road, the cliffs drop about 300 m to an ancient sea bed.

False. False. Elephant Rock is a natural sandstone formation, about 52 m high, shaped by wind and water.

The cube-shaped building in the Great Mosque of Mecca that Muslims face in prayer. The Kaaba is the cube-shaped building in the Great Mosque of Mecca that Muslims face in prayer, wherever they are in the world.

Abha. Rijal Almaa is in the Asir mountains, about 50 km west of Abha, in the southwest.

True. True. The flag carries the shahada, and lowering it is considered disrespectful, so it is not flown at half-mast.

Bahrain. The 25 km King Fahd Causeway, opened in 1986, links Saudi Arabia to the island kingdom of Bahrain.

The royal family, the Al Saud. The name comes from the royal family, the Al Saud, named after Saud ibn Muhammad, the father of the founder of the First Saudi State.

Argentina. Saudi Arabia beat Argentina 2 to 1 in their first group match. Argentina recovered and went on to win the tournament; Saudi Arabia lost to Poland and Mexico.

3.75 riyals to 1 US dollar. The riyal has been fixed at 3.75 riyals to 1 US dollar in practice since 1986, and officially since 2003.

True. True. Construction of the Jeddah Tower began in 2013, stopped in 2018 and restarted in January 2025. It is planned to be the first building 1 km tall.

Coffee. Gahwa means coffee. Saudis often say a hard g where written Arabic has q (qahwa).

A valley or dry riverbed that fills after rain. A wadi is a valley or dry riverbed that fills after rain. With no permanent rivers, Saudi Arabia has many wadis.

False. False. A souq is a market. The word for mosque is masjid.

True. True. Arabic script is written and read from right to left.

Wa alaykum as-salam. The reply is 'wa alaykum as-salam', and upon you be peace. Ma'a as-salama means goodbye.

Bikam?. Bikam? means how much? Kayf al-hal? means how are you?, ma afham means I don't understand and ahlan wa sahlan means welcome.

If God wills. In sha Allah means if God wills, and is said about anything planned for the future. Al-hamdu lillah means praise be to God, and ma sha Allah means what God has willed.

True. True. Ramadan kareem means have a generous Ramadan, and it is a friendly greeting throughout the month.

2019. Saudi Arabia began issuing tourist visas in September 2019. Before that, visitors mostly came for work, business or pilgrimage.

False. False. Drinking alcohol is illegal in Saudi Arabia, and so is being drunk in public. Do not bring alcohol into the country.

Eating, drinking, smoking or chewing gum. During Ramadan, avoid eating, drinking, smoking or chewing gum in public in the daytime, including in your car.

False. False. As of September 2026, UK advice says women visitors do not have to wear the abaya or cover their hair, but men and women should wear loose clothing covering the elbows and reaching below the knees.

Government buildings and palaces. It is illegal to photograph government buildings and palaces, military sites and embassies. Always ask people before photographing them.

True. True. Non-Muslims may not enter Mecca, but they may visit Medina. The Prophet's Mosque itself is a place of worship for Muslims, and the rules for the area around it have been relaxed in recent years.