What to do in Riyadh - Latest News

If Riyadh is on your travel list for 2026, keep this new hotel on your radar. Atheel KAFD Hotel is opening later this year inside one of the city's busiest business and lifestyle districts. The hotel is being created by Foster + Partners and will include 214 rooms and suites, from Superior Rooms to multi-bedroom suites and a Presidential Suite. Restaurant concepts inside the hotel include: Lafana with Saudi flavours and regional dishes Riya Maison, a French brasserie with subtle Saudi influences One of the most unique features it's its direct access to KAFD’s skywalk network. Cloud 14, the hotel’s...

A new station has opened on the Orange Line of Riyadh Metro, and even if your usual route doesn’t pass through the area, it's definitely worth checking out. Western Station is located between Ad Douh and Aishah bint Abi Bakr Street stations. It's currently the largest stop of the network and features cafés, a garden, and even a mosque. Western Station is located in Dhahrat Al-Badiah in southwest Riyadh. It covers 112,000 sqm and can handle more than 60,000 passengers per hour. Here's what you find at Western Station on the Orange Line of Riyadh Metro: Commercial spaces Cafés Retail...

Planning Umrah for the upcoming season? Saudi Arabia has now confirmed the official timeline for Umrah visas, entry dates, and final deadlines for pilgrims for 1448 AH arriving from outside the Kingdom. Here are the main dates confirmed for the 1448 AH Umrah season: May 31, 2026: start of Umrah visa issuance (14 Dhu Al Hijjah 1447 AH) June 1, 2026: pilgrims with Umrah visas can enter Mecca and receive permits March 9, 2027: final deadline for issuing Umrah visas March 23, 2027: last date for pilgrims entering Saudi Arabia April 7, 2027: deadline for pilgrim departures Last year, Saudi...

Residents in Saudi Arabia can now start planning for Eid Al Adha 2026. The holiday’s start date has been confirmed after the Dhul Hijjah crescent moon was sighted on Sunday evening. Here are all the dates for the upcoming holiday period: Dhul Hijjah begins on Monday, May 18 Day of Arafah: Tuesday, May 26 Eid Al Adha 2026 in Saudi Arabia: Wednesday, May 27 The holiday falls on the 10th day of Dhul Hijjah, the final month of the Islamic lunar calendar. With the Eid Al Adha 2026 start date now confirmed in Saudi Arabia, holiday plans and family gatherings...

If you’ve ever hesitated before asking an AI assistant something personal, WhatsApp is about to release a new feature that might make those chats feel a lot more comfortable. Incognito Chat is a new private mode for AI conversations on WhatsApp and Meta AI app. The feature focuses on privacy, especially for people using AI for sensitive topics like finances, health questions, work issues, or personal decisions. According to Meta, conversations inside Incognito Chat stay completely private. The company says nobody else can view the chats, including the company itself. Messages are not stored, and chats disappear automatically by default....

The FIFA World Cup always takes over everything else happening that year. Now the 2026 edition has a huge surprise for music fans too. Nobody knows yet which national teams will battle for the trophy in the final, but FIFA has just revealed who’s taking the stage for the halftime show and the lineup is massive. BTS, Madonna, and Shakira will co-headline the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final Halftime Show on July 19 at New York-New Jersey Stadium. Shakira is also returning to the World Cup with brand-new music. The singer will release a new FIFA anthem called Dai Dai...

Shakira is officially back in her FIFA World Cup era, and football fans already know what that means for summer playlists. The Colombian superstar just teased fans on Instagram with a brand-new anthem called Dai Dai. The track drops on May 14 ahead of the tournament and features Nigerian singer Burna Boy. The teaser is already blowing up online. Since hitting social media, the publication has pulled in more than 2 million likes, and the catchy chant already feels impossible to get out of your head before the tournament even begins. View this post on Instagram A post shared by...

Even if you prepare well for your pilgrimage trip, plenty of questions can still come up once you arrive. Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has expanded direct support for pilgrims with a hotline number that's available all day and night. Pilgrims can now get information, assistance, and service-related reports using number 1966. The hotline is available 24/7 Free support for pilgrims Assistance in 11 languages, including Arabic, English, French, Turkish, Urdu, Indonesian, Bengali, Hausa, Amharic, and Hindi The ministry says trained staff handle calls through an integrated system connected with relevant authorities. The process helps pilgrims receive assistance...

If you’ve ever dreamed of seeing some of the most luxurious jewellery collections in the world up close, 2026 is your year. Jewels of the World is making its return to Saudi Arabia, bringing the finest jewellery from global brands to Riyadh, Jeddah, and Al Khobar. Here’s when and where you can catch the event in 2026: Riyadh: June 15 to 19 at the Four Seasons Hotel Al Khobar: June 23 to 26 at Dhahran Expo Riyadh: October 11 to 15 at Mandarin Oriental Al Faisaliah Jeddah: October 19 to 22 at Jeddah Hilton The event will feature 100 jewellery...

If you’ve ever wanted to be part of a worldwide running event, this is your chance. And no long-haul travel required. On May 23, 2026, thousands of runners across the globe will hit the streets at the same time in one of the biggest synchronized races in the world: One Run. This year, the scale is huge: 110+ cities already joined, 15 time zones, and 250,000+ participants expected. Whether you're running through streets in the GCC or along scenic routes in Asia, you can be part of a global movement happening in real time. The event brings together participants in...