Time difference Saudi Arabia

There is a 2-hour time difference between France and Saudi Arabia in winter, during the high season. It is then 2 p.m. in Riyadh, when it is noon in Paris. The time difference is reduced by one hour during summer time, between the end of March and the end of October. Saudi Arabia is on a single time zone.

Opening hours Saudi Arabia

To see / To do Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is a country still relatively uncrowded by tourists. You'll have most of the sites to yourself, or almost all of them, except for important Unesco World Heritage sites such as Hegra and Jubbah, where we recommend you book your visits in advance. What's more, you'll sometimes be confronted with sites that are closed for renovation or some other unknown reason. Despite our often extended opening hours, some sites may be closed. Times can be adjusted in summer or during the hottest hours of the day. Most points of interest open early in the morning, close mid-day and reopen shortly before sunset. Some museums close late in the evening. As for Saudi government-run sites, they are usually open every day of the week, with a big break on Fridays or opening in the afternoon only.

Enjoying yourself Saudi Arabia

The hours vary depending on the type of restaurant. Fast food restaurants serving falafel and restaurants specializing in breakfast dishes (foul madames, mutton liver, omelets...) open very early, between 5 and 6 am, and close at noon. Traditional restaurants open in the late morning, between 11am and 1pm, and close in the evening after 11pm. Fast-food restaurants such as shawarma, hamburger, chicken in all its forms are open continuously between 11am and midnight, sometimes 2am.

Please note that on Fridays, the day of the great prayer, most restaurants are closed in the morning and only open from 1pm or 2pm, or even later.

Take a break Saudi Arabia

You will find a coffee shop on every corner of almost every city in Saudi Arabia. Some are open during the day, from 9am to 7pm, some open very early in the morning and close at the end of the day, and some are open 24 hours a day. So the hours vary a lot, but you will never have trouble finding a café that is open whenever you feel like having a coffee.

(To) please yourself Saudi Arabia

Saudis get up early (for the first prayer at dawn), but stores open late. In the souks, they are sometimes open in the morning, between 8 and 10 am. They lower the curtain during the hottest hours of the day, reopening around 4pm and closing at 10pm. Some don't open at all in the morning.

Traditional, air-conditioned stores are generally open between 10am and 10pm. Shopping centers have similar opening hours. The busiest malls, or those with many restaurants and cinemas, close between midnight and 2am.

Get out Saudi Arabia

In Saudi Arabia, shisha bars are important social spots. They are generally open from 4pm to 2am.