Saudi Arabia Travel Podcast with Layla Al Qahtani

This podcast follows a resident's slow route through Saudi Arabia, where the terrain is mostly sandy desert and the climate is harsh, dry and extreme. Travel here means crossing a country without rivers, between the Persian Gulf and Red Sea, and learning how settlement has shifted since oil was discovered in the 1930s. The host moves between Riyadh, Jeddah, Ad Dammam and the oasis city of Hufuf-Mubarraz. These are not just stops: Riyadh is the capital, Jeddah faces the Red Sea, Ad Dammam sits on the Persian Gulf, and Hufuf-Mubarraz is an interior oasis in the eastern desert. The show unfolds across seasons, with returns to the same streets and coastlines as temperatures shift from extreme heat to cooler winter days. There is no rush to cover everything. Instead, knowledge builds slowly: a market known in summer, a road understood after rain, a city learned through repeated visits. Layla Al Qahtani lives in Saudi Arabia and stays for two years, moving between cities, coastlines and smaller towns on a route that follows the seasons. Not a week-long visit — Layla is there in every kind of weather, working out where to eat on an ordinary Tuesday, which train to take, what a festival actually feels like from the pavement. A new episode arrives every day. Each one is short and specific: one neighbourhood, one journey, one meal, one museum worth the detour — with the practical detail that matters. What it costs. When it closes. Whether the queue is worth it. What to do when it rains. Every episode carries a full transcript and chapter markers. ☕ Enjoying the show? These episodes are free and stay that way because listeners chip in — if a coffee's worth it, support the journey: buymeacoffee.com/paris2tokyo Part of Paris2Tokyo — one show for each of the world's hundred most-visited countries. Made for travelers, wherever you are going next. #SaudiArabia #SaudiArabiaTravel #WesternAsia #Riyadh #TravelPodcast #Travel #Paris2Tokyo https://www.paris2tokyo.com/podcasts/saudi-arabia/

  1. 1d ago

    Final Morning in Wadi ad-Dawasir and the Road North

    Layla spends her last full day in Wadi ad-Dawasir, exploring the Alnowaima district, visiting the King Abdulaziz Palace, and reflecting on the journey ahead to Al Ula as autumn settles over the plateau. ☕ Enjoying the show? Help keep every episode free — buymeacoffee.com/paris2tokyo Plan your trip to Saudi Arabia: eSIM & data · Tours & tickets · Airport transfers · Car rental · Travel insurance · Hotels & full Saudi Arabia guide → Some links are affiliate links. Episode 70 of Saudi Arabia Travel Podcast with Layla Al Qahtani. Layla Al Qahtani is in Wadi ad-Dawasir, Saudi Arabia. Places in this episode: Alnowaima district, King Abdulaziz Palace (Qasr Barzan), Al-Sadriyah Museum and Resort, Abukabab, RSEEN COFFEE, Al-Faw Archaeological Area, Tuwaiq escarpment, Rub' al Khali. Covered: Final reflections on Wadi ad-Dawasir, King Abdulaziz Palace and Heritage, Local dining and costs, Preparation for northward journey, Residency logistics and travel planning. Chapters:00:00 Wadi ad-Dawasir02:24 Al-Sadriyah Museum and Resort06:02 Alnowaima district09:45 Ruins A full transcript of this episode is available in supported apps. #WadiAdDawasir #SaudiArabiaTravel #AutumnInSaudi #AlFawUNESCO #KindahKingdom #DateHarvest #NajdPlateau #SaudiHeritage #QaryatAlFaw #EmptyQuarter #SaudiCulture #TravelSaudi #VisitingSaudi #DesertLife #ArabianHistory #WadiAdDawasirTourism #SaudiFoodScene #RoadTripSaudi https://www.paris2tokyo.com/podcasts/saudi-arabia/

    Final Morning in Wadi ad-Dawasir and the Road North
  2. Oct 3

    Moving North to Wadi ad-Dawasir Autumn Harvest

    Layla completes her south-to-north autumn sweep, arriving in Wadi ad-Dawasir after a long drive from Najran. She explores the date harvest, the Al-Faw ruins, and the quiet rhythms of life in this agricultural heartland. ☕ Enjoying the show? Help keep every episode free — buymeacoffee.com/paris2tokyo Plan your trip to Saudi Arabia: eSIM & data · Tours & tickets · Airport transfers · Car rental · Travel insurance · Hotels & full Saudi Arabia guide → Some links are affiliate links. Episode 64 of Saudi Arabia Travel Podcast with Layla Al Qahtani. Layla Al Qahtani is in Wadi ad-Dawasir, Saudi Arabia. Places in this episode: Alnowaima, Khamaseen, Allidam, Al-Faw Archaeological Area, Qaryat al-Faw, Al-Ayoun Al-Hara, Souq al-Dibash, Old Emirate Palace. Covered: Wadi ad-Dawasir arrival and logistics, Al-Faw UNESCO site visit, Local dining and costs in Wadi ad-Dawasir, Date harvest and agriculture, Residency and banking in rural Saudi. Chapters:00:00 Wadi ad-Dawasir02:20 Khamaseen03:37 Al-Faw Archaeological Area04:32 Qaryat al-Faw06:04 Allidam08:00 Walamin Park09:10 Restaurant A full transcript of this episode is available in supported apps. #SaudiArabiaTravel #WadiAdDawasir #QaryatAlFaw #UNESCOHeritage #DateHarvest #SaudiAutumn #NajranToRiyadh #AlFDaw #KindahKingdom #SaudiFoodie #Abukabab #RiyadhProvince #DesertLife #PivotIrrigation #SaudiResidency #Vision2030 #EmptyQuarter #TravelPodcast https://www.paris2tokyo.com/podcasts/saudi-arabia/

    Moving North to Wadi ad-Dawasir Autumn Harvest

About

This podcast follows a resident's slow route through Saudi Arabia, where the terrain is mostly sandy desert and the climate is harsh, dry and extreme. Travel here means crossing a country without rivers, between the Persian Gulf and Red Sea, and learning how settlement has shifted since oil was discovered in the 1930s. The host moves between Riyadh, Jeddah, Ad Dammam and the oasis city of Hufuf-Mubarraz. These are not just stops: Riyadh is the capital, Jeddah faces the Red Sea, Ad Dammam sits on the Persian Gulf, and Hufuf-Mubarraz is an interior oasis in the eastern desert. The show unfolds across seasons, with returns to the same streets and coastlines as temperatures shift from extreme heat to cooler winter days. There is no rush to cover everything. Instead, knowledge builds slowly: a market known in summer, a road understood after rain, a city learned through repeated visits. Layla Al Qahtani lives in Saudi Arabia and stays for two years, moving between cities, coastlines and smaller towns on a route that follows the seasons. Not a week-long visit — Layla is there in every kind of weather, working out where to eat on an ordinary Tuesday, which train to take, what a festival actually feels like from the pavement. A new episode arrives every day. Each one is short and specific: one neighbourhood, one journey, one meal, one museum worth the detour — with the practical detail that matters. What it costs. When it closes. Whether the queue is worth it. What to do when it rains. Every episode carries a full transcript and chapter markers. ☕ Enjoying the show? These episodes are free and stay that way because listeners chip in — if a coffee's worth it, support the journey: buymeacoffee.com/paris2tokyo Part of Paris2Tokyo — one show for each of the world's hundred most-visited countries. Made for travelers, wherever you are going next. #SaudiArabia #SaudiArabiaTravel #WesternAsia #Riyadh #TravelPodcast #Travel #Paris2Tokyo https://www.paris2tokyo.com/podcasts/saudi-arabia/

More From Paris2Tokyo