Saudi flights with 2 stopovers – experience feedback

Hi everyone, just a quick feedback on my Saudi flight with two consecutive stopovers in Jeddah and Riyadh. This was for my outbound trip in July 2025 (return trip still to come). I booked through Lastminute without paying attention to this little detail, which caused me a lot of stress afterward. In the end, the only "difficulty" is that you absolutely need a one-year, multiple-entry e-tourist visa from visitsaudi. And it costs around 100 € at the current exchange rate per person, including children. Apart from that, luggage is checked through to the final destination from CDG, so no customs issues in Saudi Arabia and no significant impact on transit time since you don’t need to collect or recheck your hold luggage during the two stopovers in Saudi Arabia.

We had about three hours of transit between each flight. It was late, and the airports weren’t busy, so we only took about an hour each time from leaving the plane to reaching the boarding gate for the next flight—plenty of time. As a solo woman with a child, I wasn’t asked for any proof of parentage (neither a family record book nor a notarized authorization from the father, which I had taken as a precaution), and no questions were asked. No searches, nothing. I had just taken the precaution of wearing an abaya during transit to avoid any issues, but I didn’t cover my head, and I saw several Saudi women with their heads uncovered as well. Black is widely worn, but it’s not mandatory.

So, I stressed a lot, but we arrived at our destination on time with all our luggage. The only difference on board compared to other airlines is the absence of alcohol, prayer at takeoff, and the indication of flying over the *mikat*. Safe travels to all! !

Hi Sarah,

It’s always super interesting to read about travel and airport experiences—it helps ground what often feels like a mix of fantasies and misunderstandings. With two stopovers, you kinda opted for a bit of extra hassle. Saudi Arabia is opening up *a lot* these days, even running ads as a destination and offering more conveniences. The French AST you mentioned is a pretty unique document—another example of French administrative brilliance, really. It only applies to minors traveling without *any* legal guardian (neither parent) and can only be requested from French police when leaving the country. It’s not valid anywhere else. In your case, you didn’t actually need this formality at all—you weren’t even really *supposed* to get it, in a way.

What was your final destination?

Michel

We were off to the Maldives :-)

Hi, Yes, it’s still a good airline. For those who drink alcohol, that might be a drawback. As for the prayer at takeoff, you’ll see the same with airlines from the Gulf. No need to wear an abaya or cover your hair in Saudi Arabia, unlike in Iran. I’ve flown with them five times and honestly, no complaints. Plus, Saudia offers great prices—I flew to Thailand last year for 395 € with one 23 kg checked bag. Keep an eye on their promotions, which are excellent even in business class.

So, having traveled in Iran as well, I found that it was much less strict there in terms of clothing than in Saudi Arabia... I never wore a chador there, just a loosely tied headscarf, but I was traveling as a couple, and that makes a difference. After seeing what’s common on the ground, though, I’d advise women traveling alone in Saudi to bring an abaya (or a long-sleeved coat): not a single woman I saw during my few hours outside the international zone wasn’t wearing one. It’s true that the law no longer makes it mandatory, for foreigners or locals, and the country is modernizing... Everyone does what they feel is best based on their own context and beliefs after getting informed. Men are lucky they don’t have to deal with this kind of consideration... and it’s not unique to Muslim countries.