Traveling through Saudi Arabia doesn’t have to feel like a luxury-only experience. Beneath the polished skyscrapers and modern developments, the country has a quieter, more accessible side that many visitors only discover once they’re already there. Streets lined with small bakeries, local markets where prices barely nudge your wallet, families gathering in parks at sunset, and old neighborhoods where daily life moves at an easy pace — these are the moments that reveal how affordable Saudi Arabia can be if you know where to look.

For centuries, Saudi Arabia remained a land wrapped in mystery — a vast, golden expanse of deserts, mountains, and sacred cities that few outsiders were permitted to explore. Known as the spiritual heart of Islam and the birthplace of ancient civilizations, the Kingdom has long captured imaginations but kept its treasures hidden behind tradition and faith. Today, however, with the opening of its borders to tourism, a new chapter is unfolding. Travelers can finally witness the astonishing diversity, culture, and raw beauty that define this remarkable nation.

Mecca stands as the beating heart of the Islamic world, revered for over fourteen centuries as the holiest city in Islam. It is the birthplace of Prophet Muhammad and the site where Muslims believe the angel Gabriel revealed the words of the Quran to him — revelations that became the foundation of one of the world’s largest faiths. Since that moment in the 7th century, Mecca has remained the most important religious center for Muslims everywhere, and every year millions journey to its sacred grounds to perform the Hajj pilgrimage, one of Islam’s five essential pillars.