Masjid al-Haram
Holiest mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia
Also called the Great Mosque of Mecca: Islam's holiest and most important mosque, in the Saudi city of Mecca, and as of 2026 the biggest mosque on Earth.
Photo: Khalili Collections, Public domain
SA · Curated travel guide
Saudi Arabia: 10 places worth the journey
Masjid al-Haram, Prophet's Mosque, Zamzam Well and 7 more — what each one is, and why it is worth the detour.
- Places
- 10
- Language
- Arabic
- Currency
- SAR
What to see in Saudi Arabia
Chosen from everything Wikidata knows about Saudi Arabia and ranked by how many Wikipedia language editions describe them, which is about as close to "famous" as open data gets.
Prophet's Mosque
Historic mosque in Medina, Saudi Arabia
The second mosque the Islamic prophet Muhammad built in Medina, after the Quba Mosque, and Islam's second-biggest mosque and second-holiest site, after Mecca's Masjid al-Haram, in Saudi Arabia's Hejaz region. It stands in the heart of Medina, a major pilgrimage site in the care of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.
Photo: Bluemangoa2z at Malayalam Wikipedia, Public domain
Zamzam Well
Well in the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca
Lying 20 m (66 ft) east of the Kaaba, Islam's holiest place: a well within Mecca's Masjid al-Haram, in Saudi Arabia.
Photo: Mardetanha, CC BY-SA 3.0
Mount Arafat
Mountain and holy site in Saudi Arabia
A hill of granodiorite rising approximately 70 m (230 ft), with its top at 454 metres (1,490 ft) above sea level, about 20 km (12 mi) southeast of Mecca, in the Saudi province that shares the city's name.
Photo: Unknown author, Public domain
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Quba Mosque
Mosque in Medina, Saudi Arabia
A mosque in Medina, in Saudi Arabia's Hejaz region, first built in the 7th century during the lifetime of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It is thought to be the world's first mosque, founded on the first day of his emigration to Medina.
Photo: Kaliper1, CC BY-SA 4.0
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The Clock Towers
Building complex in Mecca, Saudi Arabia
A state-owned complex of seven skyscraper hotels in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, part of the King Abdulaziz Endowment Project to modernise the city for its pilgrims.
Photo: King Eliot, CC BY-SA 3.0
Jeddah Tower
Skyscraper in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
A megatall skyscraper being built in the north of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, as the centrepiece of the Jeddah Economic City project.
Photo: S.Nitzold, CC BY-SA 4.0
Nafud desert
Desert in northern Saudi Arabia
Also called simply the Nafud, a desert in the north of the Arabian Peninsula, at 28.30°N 41.00°E, filling a large oval depression. It measures 290 kilometres (180 mi) from end to end and 225 kilometres (140 mi) across, an area of 65,000 square kilometres (25,000 sq mi).
Photo: NASA, Public domain
Jabal al-Nour
Holy mountain and peak in Saudi Arabia
A mountain near Mecca, in Saudi Arabia's Hejaz region, where the grotto, or cave, of Hira is found.
Photo: User Nazli, Public domain
Kingdom Centre
Skyscraper in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Formerly Kingdom Tower, a skyscraper of 99 floors, 302.3 m (992 ft) tall, in Riyadh's al-Olaya district, Saudi Arabia. On completion in 2002 it overtook the Faisaliah Tower, 267-meter (876 ft), as the country's tallest.
Photo: King Eliot, CC BY-SA 3.0
About Saudi Arabia
Officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), a West Asian country covering most of the Arabian Peninsula. Its land area of approximately 2,149,690 km² (830,000 sq mi) is fifth in Asia and twelfth in the world. Kuwait, Iraq and Jordan lie to its north; the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and the Arabian Gulf to its east; Oman to its southeast; Yemen to its south; and the Red Sea to its west.
Officially The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Known locally as Al-‘Arabiyyah as Sa‘ūdiyyah المملكة العربية السعودية.
Based on the Wikipedia article, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0: the facts are Wikipedia's, the wording is this site's.
Questions travellers ask
What is worth seeing in Saudi Arabia?
This guide lists 10: Masjid al-Haram, Prophet's Mosque, Zamzam Well and Mount Arafat and others.
How were these places chosen?
By machine, from open data, with no human ranking them and nobody able to pay for a place on the list. Everything Wikidata records in Saudi Arabia that is a building, a landform, a protected area or a tourist attraction, has coordinates, a photograph and an English Wikipedia article, is ranked by how many Wikipedia language editions wrote about it. Provinces, cities, airports, stations and stretches of sea shared with the neighbours are filtered out.
What language is spoken in Saudi Arabia, and what currency?
Arabic. The currency is SAR.
How do I get mobile data in Saudi Arabia?
A travel eSIM is usually the cheapest way, and avoids a roaming bill. The plans suggested at the foot of this guide start at $2.90 for 1GB for 7 days. The eSIM is data-only and sits alongside your normal SIM, so calls, texts and WhatsApp keep working on your own number.
Which networks would my phone use in Saudi Arabia?
STC. Your phone picks whichever has the best signal where you are, the same way a local phone does.
One practical note: staying online
Maps, tickets and translation all want data, and roaming is the expensive way to get it. A Computatus eSIM eSIM connects to STC once you land, and installs by QR code before you leave.
See 13 Computatus eSIM plans for Saudi Arabia from $2.90
| Plan | Data | Valid | Price | Order |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1GB for 7 days Cheapest | 1 GB | 7 days | $2.90 | Get it → |
| 1GB per day | 1 GB | 1 day | $2.90 | Get it → |
| 1GB per day | 1 GB | 1 day | $3.24 | Get it → |
| 2GB per day | 2 GB | 1 day | $5.17 | Get it → |
| 2GB per day | 2 GB | 1 day | $5.98 | Get it → |
| 3GB for 15 days | 3 GB | 15 days | $7.75 | Get it → |
No app needed. Install by QR code before you fly, keep your own number for calls, and it connects the moment you land.
STC 5G
A commission on plans bought through these links is what pays for this guide. Nothing above depends on it: the places are chosen before any price is looked up.