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Artwork for Saudi Arabia Travel Podcast with Layla Al Qahtani
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Saudi Arabia Travel Podcast with Layla Al Qahtani

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.

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/

  • 9 episodes
  • Updated Today

Episodes9

  • Today · 8 min

    Ta'if's Honey, Roses, and Mountain Air

    Layla explores Ta'if's summer markets, from Sidr honey to pomegranates, visits the historic Souq and Shubra Palace, and discovers the city's cool mountain rhythm, with practical tips on buses, costs, and the upcoming camel festival.

  • Yesterday · 11 min

    The Ascent to Ta'if

    Layla drives from Jeddah up the winding mountain road to Ta'if, the summer capital, escaping the heat. She explores the rose-water legacy, visits Shubra Palace and the old souq, and reflects on the city's poetry roots and camel festival buzz.

  • Friday · 8 min

    The Last Coffee and the Road to the Mountains

    On her final day in Jeddah, Layla completes her errands, enjoys a last cup of qahwa at a local café, watches the sunset from the Corniche, and reflects on the city's rhythm before driving into the Sarawat highlands. A quiet episode about thresholds, good…

  • Thursday · 12 min

    The Last Day: Jeddah's Secret Morning and the Road Ahead

    On her final day in Jeddah, Layla discovers the city's quiet early hours before the heat, enjoys one last Al-Balad breakfast, and reflects on the practicalities of moving on to the Asir highlands, carrying Jeddah's lessons of patience and reward.

  • Wednesday · 11 min

    Coffee, Chess, and the Last Night in Jeddah

    On her final evening before heading to the mountains, Layla drinks coffee at Cup & Couch, watches the Jeddah Season Chess Championship in Al-Balad, and reflects on the quiet rhythm of settling in.

  • Tuesday · 10 min

    Jeddah's Evening Breeze and the Road South

    Layla spends her fourth day in Jeddah chasing the cooler evening hours along the Corniche, exploring an art exhibition, and finally mapping out her escape into the Sarawat mountains. She reflects on the cost of settling in and the warmth of the city's ni…

  • Monday · 11 min

    Paperwork, Coffee, and the Rhythm of Jeddah

    Day three in Jeddah means the quiet work of settling in: registering a National Address, finding refuge from the heat in the cool halls of the Tayebat Museum, and eating your way through the city. It's a day of appointments, small rituals, and learning t…

  • August 2 · 9 min

    Jeddah's Night Shift: Corniche Lights and the Road North

    Day two in Jeddah: Layla dodges the midday heat, explores the old town's cafes, watches the sunset from the Corniche, and plots her escape to the cool Asir highlands. Practical tips on costs, getting around, and the city's summer rhythm.

  • August 1 · 9 min

    Jeddah Arrival, Heat, and First Steps

    Layla lands in Jeddah and dives into the practicalities of settling in—from iqama paperwork to a first SIM card—before escaping the humid coastal summer for an evening in Al-Balad and a late-night seafood meal on the Corniche.