Riyadh culture & etiquette

Shops, restaurants and many offices pause for ~20-30 minutes at each prayer (salah). Enforcement has eased, but it's still widespread — check a prayer-times app and time your errands so you're not caught mid-shop.

Don't eat, drink or smoke in public during daylight in Ramadan, even if you're not fasting. Work hours shorten, and the city comes alive at night after iftar.

Saudi Arabia bans alcohol; don't bring it or seek it out. Social life runs on Saudi coffee (qahwa), karak tea and a serious specialty-cafe scene instead.

Abayas are no longer legally required for women and the religious police no longer police dress, yet modest clothing (shoulders and knees covered) is respected. Men avoid shorts in formal or government settings.

The weekend is Friday-Saturday, and Friday is the holy day (jumuʿah) when things start late. Schedule meetings Sunday to Thursday.

Riyadh is highly cashless — the mada debit network and Apple Pay are accepted almost everywhere, often even by small vendors. You'll rarely need cash.