Budget Saudi Arabia (1 Viewer)

[DMW]

Just a heads-up for anybody who might be interested, Wizz Air currently has very cheap flights from Rome to Jeddah (£133 return carry-on only) for Summer 2023. It's very easy to get a tourist e-visa these days, and Avis has rental cars from around £150 for a week. Affordable hotels can be booked via Booking.com.

Birding the endemic-rich mountains and coastal plain in the SW independently is very straightforward. All the SW Arabian endemics are gettable, together with regional specialities such as Sooty and White-eyed Gull, White-cheeked Tern, Crab Plover, Nubian Nightjar etc. There is also a significant number of Afrotropical species for "Greater WP" listers.

A friend and I birded this region in August this year and I can thoroughly recommend. Obviously Saudi has something of an image problem, but all I can say is that we had only positive experiences and the people we encountered were overwhelmingly friendly and welcoming and delighted to encounter tourists, and apart from the standard of driving it's a very safe destination.

 

[opisska]

Nice to hear you had good experience! i was supposed to right now be on the way, but had to cancel the trip on account of having covid.

I am a bit surprised by your choice of August, wasn't it hellishly hot? After having studied weather records, I am quite determined never to visit the country outside of November - February.

As for the "image problem" - well let's be real, it's not just that. I have friends who would not visit the country just because of the human rights oppression and war atrocities committed by it - and while I am too selfish to follow their course, I understand that view. Also even if the majority of visitors have no issues, it has to be said that visiting Saudi puts you in a risk of being detained without legal recourse, they do not consider the rights of foreigners a priority. This can happen for example in case of a traffic accident. I am still planning to go soon despite that, but it's something to consider.

 

[DMW]

Nice to hear you had good experience! i was supposed to right now be on the way, but had to cancel the trip on account of having covid.

I am a bit surprised by your choice of August, wasn't it hellishly hot? After having studied weather records, I am quite determined never to visit the country outside of November - February.

As for the "image problem" - well let's be real, it's not just that. I have friends who would not visit the country just because of the human rights oppression and war atrocities committed by it - and while I am too selfish to follow their course, I understand that view. Also even if the majority of visitors have no issues, it has to be said that visiting Saudi puts you in a risk of being detained without legal recourse, they do not consider the rights of foreigners a priority. This can happen for example in case of a traffic accident. I am still planning to go soon despite that, but it's something to consider.

The mountains in the SW (where almost all the SW Arabian endemic occur) are quite high and have a monsoon climate. Temperatures are very pleasant in the mountains in August, which is arguably the peak month for bird activity. The coastal lowlands are another story, very hot and very humid at this time of year. We didn't attempt any desert birding.

As for the ethics of visiting, everybody can make their own minds up. All I can do is reiterate the fact that everybody we met was extremely kind and friendly and we never felt unsafe.

 

[DMW]

These are some typical landscapes in the Asir Mountains during the monsoon.

 

[Arbu]

You didn't bump into Lionel Messi there by any chance, did you? He doesn't quite look comfortable with binoculars, I have to say.
Messi

 

[DMW]

You didn't bump into Lionel Messi there by any chance, did you? He doesn't quite look comfortable with binoculars, I have to say.
Messi
View attachment 1484974

We did indeed - I hadn't realised he is a keen world birder until we bumped into him at Raydah. That's us in the photo - we were trying to get him onto a Philby's Rock Partridge but he just couldn't pick it up, hence the dismayed look on his face.

 

[Arbu]

We did indeed - I hadn't realised he is a keen world birder until we bumped into him at Raydah. That's us in the photo - we were trying to get him onto a Philby's Rock Partridge but he just couldn't pick it up, hence the dismayed look on his face.

Oh dear. Winning the World Cup would have been scant consolation for that.

 

[McMadd]

Oh dear. Winning the World Cup would have been scant consolation for that.

But all the taxes he’s dodged would keep the smile on his face…

On topic…not a destination I’ve ever considered

 

[foresttwitcher]

Birding the endemic-rich mountains and coastal plain in the SW independently is very straightforward. All the SW Arabian endemics are gettable, together with regional specialities such as Sooty and White-eyed Gull, White-cheeked Tern, Crab Plover, Nubian Nightjar etc. There is also a significant number of Afrotropical species for "Greater WP" listers.

A friend and I birded this region in August this year and I can thoroughly recommend.

Apologies for my ignorance on the endemics of the region (I guess I could research it myself!) but are they residents i.e. would be equally gettable on a winter visit or are some migrants?

 

[DMW]

The majority are sedentary. The only (near) endemic species that seems to be absent in winter is Rufous-crowned Lark. Some species disperse and become more elusive (eg Arabian Waxbill, Arabian Golden Sparrow), while some of the specialities such as Nubian and Plain Nightjar may be less vocal and harder to find. Otherwise, the remaining endemics should be pretty straightforward, and spending time in the desert and coastal lowlands would be much more pleasant.

 

[foresttwitcher]

The majority are sedentary. The only (near) endemic species that seems to be absent in winter is Rufous-crowned Lark. Some species disperse and become more elusive (eg Arabian Waxbill, Arabian Golden Sparrow), while some of the specialities such as Nubian and Plain Nightjar may be less vocal and harder to find. Otherwise, the remaining endemics should be pretty straightforward, and spending time in the desert and coastal lowlands would be much more pleasant.

Thanks DMW, much appreciated.

 

[Jos Stratford]

Thanks DMW, much appreciated.

Should be mentioned that in addition to the endemics, there are a number of species that are primarily African in range and are, I believe, only in Saudi in summer. If you wish to see these, or if you had wish to get these in the WP (I including all the Arabian peninsula in this), then this might affect your planning too

 

[foresttwitcher]

Should be mentioned that in addition to the endemics, there are a number of species of primarily African in range that are, I believe, only in summer. If you wish to see these, or of you had wish to get these in the WP (I including all the Arabian peninsula in this), then this might affect your planning too

Thanks Jos, that's helpful. Though I don't think I'm ready for Saudi yet - I need to ease myself in to the Middle East first.

 

[jkgrooms]

Just a heads-up for anybody who might be interested, Wizz Air currently has very cheap flights from Rome to Jeddah (£133 return carry-on only) for Summer 2023. It's very easy to get a tourist e-visa these days, and Avis has rental cars from around £150 for a week. Affordable hotels can be booked via Booking.com.

Birding the endemic-rich mountains and coastal plain in the SW independently is very straightforward. All the SW Arabian endemics are gettable, together with regional specialities such as Sooty and White-eyed Gull, White-cheeked Tern, Crab Plover, Nubian Nightjar etc. There is also a significant number of Afrotropical species for "Greater WP" listers.

A friend and I birded this region in August this year and I can thoroughly recommend. Obviously Saudi has something of an image problem, but all I can say is that we had only positive experiences and the people we encountered were overwhelmingly friendly and welcoming and delighted to encounter tourists, and apart from the standard of driving it's a very safe destination.

I have worked for a Saudi company for 10y managing their USA business. While I don't have much experience birding there, I have traveled the country extensively. There are beautiful places especially to the West adjacent to the Red Sea (Wadi Disah, Jeddah and Rijal Almaa). East (NE) Saudi has most of the industrial capacity due to its proximity to the massive oil reserves. I can attest that traveling in Saudi is very safe. In stark contrast to Yemen where western folks run risk of kidnapping. Moreover, the younger GEN Saudis are very forward thinking with respect to women's rights (for example) and are embracing many western values. However, be respectful of their places of worship - namely Mecca - where only Muslims are allowed. In short, Saudi is an awesome tourist destination and very much unlike the 'run of the mill' western destinations.

 

[James Lowther]

I can attest that traveling in Saudi is very safe. In stark contrast to Yemen/Oman where western folks run risk of kidnapping.

I don’t believe there is any particular risk of kidnapping in Oman, it is a very safe destination and certainly shouldn’t be placed in the same bracket as Yemen
Cheers
James

 

[jkgrooms]

I don’t believe there is any particular risk of kidnapping in Oman, it is a very safe destination and certainly shouldn’t be placed in the same bracket as Yemen
Cheers
James

Agreed.