Bicycle Journey Through Saudi Arabia - NOTHING Like We Expected

What is Saudi Arabia really like to travel? What's it like for women travellers? Is Saudi Arabia safe? What is there much to see? I had the same questions, so I spent 90 days there to find out! 🇸🇦
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[@berniekeene868]

Thank you! What you showed us is incredible and inspiring. How wonderful to see how nice the Saudi people are. Thank you to you and the Saudi people.

[@lenot866]

Welcome to my country. All nationalities are welcome. My beloved country, of course, has a diverse terrain and civilizations spanning thousands of years, many tribes, architecture, cultures and dialects. I hope you visit our country every day. Welcome from Saudi Arabia🇸🇦💚🤍💚

[@longheadedshorthorse]

What about jews?

[@lenot866]

@@longheadedshorthorse We welcome any nationality or religion, but only if you respect our sacred areas You can enter Mecca and Medina only within the limits outside the Haram, but inside it is forbidden for non-Muslims welcome to my country 🤗💗💗💗

[@Cyclingmuslim]

Are you still in Saudi Arabia? I cycled from the Netherlands to Saudi Arabia. I am at the moment in Medina. I absolutly agree with you. I loved Saudi Arabia, they are amazingly hospital and caring. The best country of my journey.

[@Cyclingabout]

We are no longer there but still thinking about it all the time!

[@abdulmohd3871]

Why didn’t you publish your journey?

[@adamgriss2025]

As a Canadian who has lived in Saudi Arabia for more than twenty years, I can attest that the genuine hospitality that you felt might actually be understated.

[@bloodfaisal]

This was lovely to watch as a saudi. And hope you loved and enjoyed our country! We wish to have you again.

[@gabscar1]

Wow, what an amazing place. Wow, what amazing information. Just wow! Thanks!

[@Biking360]

Fantastic video. You have now put Saudi Arabia on my bucket list.

[@keithattwood59]

Having worked near Abha for ten years, then Tabuk in the north for another eleven, I concur with the positive views expressed. Since I first went there in 1997, the country has developed so much, even surpassing my UK for civil administration. I have travelled all those roads you show. The country is beautiful and I enjoyed my time amongst the people. Also experienced the police escorts in the south too, only difference was that we had suv's and the speed limit was set by the slowest police car!

[@conradcoolerfiend]

the people are nice wherever you go. its the governments and regimes that arent always nice.

[@conradcoolerfiend]

@@Mubarak_47 yes certainly. United States is one of the most destructive governments for example

[@keithattwood59]

In my time there, I lived under Fahad, Abdullah, Salman with the Crown Prince MBS. Development has always been better and to benefit the people. Don't believe everything told you by western media....

[@MrAsteliks007]

Try visiting Mekka in SA. My French friends were murdered for that

[@MrAsteliks007]

Other than that I’ve lived there. Great place. Would visit again

[@Abonaif-c6x]

Your friend 😂😂😂😂😂​@@MrAsteliks007

[@MurielZaccuri]

This video reflects my experience cycling 3 months in Saudi: one of the best countries alhamdulilah

[@JohnCramer-io7dn]

A big thanks to both of you for this awesome upload, take care.

[@onelove8062]

Great to see your interactions with the locals

[@biking-places]

wow, unexpected but really interesting. a wise person once said that if someone says something about a place you should ask them if they've been there (and if they haven't just ignore it as hearsay). appreciate you guys doing the exploring for us, looks like a surprisingly appealing destination.

[@wcgebn]

Were you there when that wise person said this?

[@biking-places]

@@wcgebn indubitably

[@JacobMoha-vn5cj]

Awesome video mate!! Its amazing seeing the growth of Saudi Arabia. Its honestly one of the safest places on earth with the most amazingly generous people. Would recommend everyone to give it a visit! Its a crazy cool place! P.s. Some of these hate comments are literally killing my IQ. You'd think by 2024 the world would be a bit more educated.

[@willek1335]

Hospitality reminds me of my trip to Tehran in 2006.

[@Cyclingabout]

Iran is just as hospitable! Both such surprising places.

[@michaelfrew5652]

I notice your back on the old bikes, was this shot before your trip to Africa?

[@Cyclingabout]

Yep! I’m very far behind on editing videos.

[@swnorcraft7971]

Glad to see your lady still rocking the Priority 600X. I still have mine. A fantastic bicycle. Thanks for sharing your journey through the beautiful Saudi Arabia. Be well.

[@PhilipSalen]

I would never think to do a bicycle adventure in Saudi Arabia. Amazing video, beautiful sites, fascinating culture and country.. The riding must have been fantastically challenging.

[@suewilson7807]

Great video as always.

[@Cyclingabout]

Thanks again!

[@agunlogisteam]

Saudi is always my wishlist. Apart from my religion to hajj, the destination is amazing. And there's a resurgence of bikepacking hajj from Indonesia. Often takes 7-8 months of pedaling. Truly something im looking forward to do someday.

[@jasonm4695]

I needed that perspective, thank you!

[@petergibson7287]

Excellent video as always.

[@BuildFriendly]

Never thought I would tune in to CyclingAbout and see Alee 4-wheeling! Hahahahah!

[@Luigi13]

Good report on Saudi Arabia. Thank you.

[@GaryPhelps55]

Fantastic video! I learned a lot from it.

[@gatitodura]

UAU! Thanks! This is a great video, it makes you feel like really traveling this country. Now I want to make a visit!

[@stefanmollmann8788]

Very impressed by how concisely you were able to summarize a 90 day trip into a video of under 20 minutes full of valuable information and interesting impressions! Never felt the urge to skip anything.

[@Cyclingabout]

Many thanks! We had a great time travelling in Saudi Arabia, and are hoping this information helps others to enjoy a trip there too.

[@mpepp9]

Looks great! I’m hoping to head there on the bike this Christmas (stringing Bahrain-Saudi-Qatar-UAE-Oman together) so I’ll only be in the flat boring gulf side, but looking forward to experiencing the country all the same

[@Cyclingabout]

You won't be disappointed!

[@moobaz8675]

Who'd have known. Really enjoyed that and learning about somewhere I'd never thought to visit. One for the list. 👍

[@alyshasimonsen1102]

WOW THIS VIDEO IS INCREDIBLE!!! EVERYONE SHOULD WATCH THIS!! I AM SHOOKETH!!!

[@usablellc6735]

Very compelling video. Id love to visit!

[@MBen-f2b]

Your last statement of a people trying to open up to globalism but not to loose their traditions/identity in the process is most interesting and the most difficult.

[@Cyclingabout]

Everyone we met was excited about the recent changes and super optimistic for the future to come.

[@briansmythe3000]

@@Cyclingabout So Was The So Called Freedom loving West Last Centery we were all Promiced a bright Future of beyond 2000 , Just like the old TV show look at What has Happed Govenments and Every one else are encouraged too Turn on Eachother verry sad

[@imoafaq]

I'm from Medina and driving is a bit dangerous in Saudi, so how about cycling! stay safe everyone.

[@haroon420]

wow.. can you do a few more detailed videos about your time in Saudi?? also, can you include what your bike set up was like? I'm a roadie but would like to get into touring kind of cycling (especially given I'll be in Oman for 3-4 months from Oct).. I don't know if I should take my Domane or should get a Checkpoint. I don't want to ride on the main roads given how busy they can get. So i'll be going more into the quieter parts of the country. What do you think?

[@tinatpasselepoivre]

on sand and rock you will need as much tire as you can get. So checkpoint but i'd perhaps even go to a dedicated big gravel / touring bike for 60+mm clearance. Also if you plan on doing only roads that change things.

[@terrynelson2385]

Great video story and scenery.

[@phillharris3154]

Fabulous. Thank you very much from Melbourne. 🙏

[@Velo_Safari]

What did you use for naviagarion, maps etc while in SA?

[@Cyclingabout]

We use the app MapOut (only on iPhone).

[@user-pw7xy2sm8i]

What is free/wild camping like or did you stay in hotels?

[@Azzy_Mazzy]

Wild camping is fine, what will cause issues is using wood in the area to light a fire.

[@Cyclingabout]

We wild camped everywhere! It was totally fine, we only had people come up to our tent once or twice, just to say hello and check we were ok.

[@keithattwood59]

I spent many years driving to remote beaches for fishing and diving. Fire wood and charcoal is available at all the petrol stations in the small villages, or a station might be miles from nowhere. I've only met a cobra face to face once and camel spiders a few times in my 21 years living there. Enjoy! Just be careful in the wadis juring rainy season. I've seen a dry valley become a white water torrent in an instant, boulders flying down hill and cars washed away trying to ford. Also, an area of beach washed away to a depth of 1m when a body of water that collected behind some dunes, from rain, managed to break through to the sea.

[@karimquraishi1032]

Wow, I took almost the exac same route except I started in Madina and went to Abha and then to Riyadh whereas the map here shows you started further north and appear to have travelled to Najran.

[@obitomusic4030]

how much money did you spend in saudi arabia total, i would also like to make such a trip

[@Cyclingabout]

I probably spent $20-30 per day on average. But I was staying in hotels quite frequently.

[@agatitytube]

Great video, thank you!

[@1714allen]

question - on some trips, it appears that Laura is riding in keens with flat pedals. is that correct ? and if so, how does she like those ? (thanks for all the great content !!)

[@Cyclingabout]

Those are clip-in Keens. She likes the Shimano SD-5 sandals much better.

[@tithisarkar9596]

I am 4' 11" can anyone suggest me any suitable touring cycle please

[@Cyclingabout]

I have a list of small bikes on my website: www.cyclingabout.com/list-of-touring-bikes-for-smaller-cyclists/

[@tithisarkar9596]

Thank you so much for your suggestions sir

[@dsa5394]

I miss seeing the cycling videos you used to make. This seemed more like a tourism video than a bike travel video.

[@Cyclingabout]

I had a lot I wanted to say!

[@drill_fiend1097]

Kinda posting different things once in a while is good imo.

[@keelferm]

@@Cyclingabout and also had to think carefully about how to say it, no doubt!

[@abdullahalnafisah3707]

Thanks a lot ❤

[@moulis32]

We need an extended version focused on the bike trips!

[@Cyclingabout]

I definitely could've edited the footage this way, but I was so shocked by my experience that I wanted to share a bit more about the people, culture, history and way of life.

[@ericelfner]

Nice. Thx for sharing.

[@Velo_Safari]

Will you be releasing any more vids of ur trip to Africa?

[@Cyclingabout]

Yes

[@IceGuts]

Could You cycle in your gifted outfit? Does it work better in heat?

[@Cyclingabout]

It was not practical or cool enough. Technical fabrics work much better!

[@jameshcox]

Thanks for this. Been meaning to go for a while. Clearly no excuse not to.

[@Tntdruid]

Why so short?

[@StanEby1]

Amazing! 4,000KM? Must have been the coffee.😂

[@Cyclingabout]

Powered by coffee, tea and dates. 🙌🏻

[@MúsicaSintética-24]

excelente video, de un pais - reino que no se sabe mucho, no tenia idea de esos paisajes, pense que fuera todo desierto. lo de la hospitalidad es algo que tienen la mayoria de gente del desierto / musulman de recibir al viajero.

[@WheelsonaBike]

Thank you for sharing this travel experience. I have a question related to marital status. Having lived in the Gulf a while ago, I know that traveling as an unmarried couple can be an issue. I don't know if you're married or not, but was this ever an obstacle?

[@Cyclingabout]

Not at all! We were never interrogated about our marital status or asked to prove that we were married.

[@ianbell5611]

Great video

[@hamzazk9240]

It is not possible to visit Mecca because it is a special place for Muslims to perform Hajj and Islam forbids entry to Mecca for non-Muslims, and we must respect that because it is a special place for their rituals and not for tourism.

[@crunchysteve]

Wow! That was a hoot. Cursing my restricted finances, want to jump on a plane there immediately!

[@khaloood199]

We hope more about this place

[@GManWrites]

As an introvert I would find all that friendliness very tiring.

[@Cyclingabout]

That's fair! I know of a bike traveller or two that had to decline most invites as they knew what was best for them.

[@Leavingthecage]

GREAT!

[@robertmatch6550]

I would keep the journalism degree to myself.

[@vv247]

Great watch. I still would not want to break a law there. Its very beautiful for sure.

[@rafsxful]

Awesome

[@87solarsky]

Great Job! The Islamic world is definitely a fascinating frontier for bicycle travelling.

[@Cyclingabout]

Many countries in this part of the world rank as my favourites.

[@martinschwartz7342]

Saudi Arabia looks very interesting but as an American Jew, I am not sure it would be a good idea for me to go there.

[@Cyclingabout]

Before I arrived, I watched a few videos of Jewish guys visiting. They all reported similar experiences to me.

[@martinschwartz7342]

@@Cyclingabout Thank you for your response.

[@BujairPK]

❤

[@inspiredtraveller254]

I❤❤❤

[@d9918]

It's all beer and skittles unless you are a certain journalist from The Washington Post 😉

[@tactical-333]

referring to james gordon meek i spouse?

[@VivekKosuru]

only if you got money😂😂

[@crafty_matt]

@qweqwe9678 Months ago I noticed multiple youtubers making videos based in Rwanda, no doubt heavily sponsored by their board of tourism

[@Dsb_1911]

Its a muslim culture not just conservative culture...

[@giffardsercombe3169]

Really really great. Am not surprised but absolutely delighted to see this, undermining the prejudices so prevalent in mefia. Thanks so much!

[@giffardsercombe3169]

'Media'

[@_mark1]

I didn't really like the format of this video. I prefer to follow along on a journey. Not clips from here and there trying to change opinions I don't hold.

[@Cyclingabout]

I like to make all kinds of different types of videos! Maybe you will like the next one.

[@Karl-HeinzStrohmeier]

NOTHING Like We Expected? Your report on a 90-day cycle tour through Saudi Arabia is a nice way of describing a country in which Islam is the state religion, Sharia law applies, human rights are systematically and brutally suppressed by the theocratic state power, individual freedoms count for little and limb amputations and death sentences are regularly and not infrequently carried out. Why is it that you report so uncritically?

[@joshuabuilds3051]

Your head is still attached, so not what I thought it would be either.

[@Harry-vu6uz]

There were more then 350 people killed last year being homosexual or lbqht etc

[@iyx5295]

False news

[@hamzazk9240]

In our religion (Islam) the women have rights like and more than men,but that doesn't mean that the Muslim women can't be independent!,the religion isn't a barrier like you made us feel in your video😅,and the Muslim community is very open and accepting. Add to that: the women are not allowed to touch a man that isn't her father or husband or brother or uncle.... Because shaking hands with woman can be sexual and all the women accept that and they like that Islam didn't allow that because this benefit the woman and this is for her own good

[@detectivegenius9744]

Go to Afghanistan if you want to unalive😎

[@phillharris3154]

Please elaborate on your comment please. Unalive is an unknown word to me.

[@yarly3180]

Mmmm I see no women in this video except your travel partner which makes me suspicious... could it be local women aren't really free to for instance get their driver's license? 🤔

[@عبدالله-ن6ه2ص]

Most Saudi women’s role models in life are the Virgin Mary, Khadija, and Aisha, the wives of the Prophet Muhammad, not Jill Biden, Nicole Kidman, and Britney Spears. The concept of freedoms, rights, and morals is different between Islamic laws and liberal laws. Therefore, you must understand that liberal laws conflict with what Muslims, as well as Orthodox Christians, believe in.

[@Cyclingabout]

There are the laws, and then there is the culture. The laws have recently changed to give women significantly more rights, however, it will take many years for the culture to now catch up. As a result, you do see significantly fewer women driving cars and on the streets. But another reason you saw few women in this video is that I was very hesitant to film them.

[@عبدالله-ن6ه2ص]

These are books you must read to understand the Islamic culture of women: 1. Women in Islam, AbdulRahman Bin Abdulkarim Al-Sheha 2. The Hijab Liberation or Oppression - A Detailed Discussion in The Light of Scientific Research Author: Gohar Mushtaq 3. The Making of a Salafi Muslim Woman: Paths to Conversion by Anabel Inge 4. The Ideal Muslimah: The True Islamic Personality of the Muslim Woman as Defined in the Qur an and Sunnah by Muhammad Ali Hashimi and Nasiruddin al-Khattab 5. The Role of the Women in Rectifying the Society by Ash-Shaykh Al-Allaamah Muhammad Ibn Saalih al Uthaymeen 6. Women’s Ideal Liberation: Islamic Versus Western Understanding by Rukaiyah Hill Abdulsalam 7. The Family Structure In Islam by Hammūdah ʻAbd al-ʻAṭī 8. Polygamy in Islam by Dr. Bilal Philips And Dr. Jamila Jones 9. A Return to Modesty: Discovering the Lost Virtue by Wendy Shalit 10. Why Not Cover Your Modesty by Abdul Hameed Al-Balali

[@AhmadAlkinani]

​@@Cyclingabout It's not about the culture it's about the religion, and we Saudis are fine with that. So we hope our guests respect that and stop trying to make us change what we are.

[@whothefoxcares]

Trust Allah but chain&lock your bike when picking up Happy Meals!. -- *The Book of Trump*

[@HOLOHOAXTND]

don't trust them

[@user-eh2cq4iz2e]

Explain. I am planning a similar trip…

[@John-ks9rm]

You’ve been brainwashed buddy!!

[@phillharris3154]

That comment is ridiculous, especially seeing you have given no reasons. Shame on you.

[@rambo8085]

Your comment just shows how you see other cultures as inferior, the world is more than just white people :)

[@HOLOHOAXTND]

@@user-eh2cq4iz2e they're mudslimes

[@BeaverTerror]

Were you paid by the Saudi governemnt to travel there and publish your journey? They're are spending billons promoting tourism to their country and have paid thousands of online influencers to publish glossed over reports of traveling there. Not disclosing the payment you received is despicable.

[@Cyclingabout]

I have no affiliation with the Saudi government. I mentioned this early on in the video.

[@HOLOHOAXTND]

they behaved that way because they were on camera. otherwise you woudn't return since they're muslims

[@JacobMoha-vn5cj]

You should probably never leave your country buddy, this could be the dumbest comment I have ever read on here. Saudi has the most generous most humble people I have ever seen and experienced. Can't believe I have to say this...BUT GUESS OUT! I travelled there with no camera... wooow... crazyyy..... Out of 45 countries I've been in, Saudi was the best. Facts. Your lack of education is what scares me.

[@interceptor7905]

Lot of people sadly believe anything lamestream media shows

[@kemetancientafrica]

This has to be the worst country on earth.

[@interceptor7905]

Why is that?

[@kemetancientafrica]

@@interceptor7905 Modern day slavery on foreign domestic workers.

[@alipaulstagram]

Did you manage to maintain your vegan diet? Always difficult when locals are offering you food and not wanting to come across as rude.