The Little Explorer’s Guide To: Jabl Sawda

I don’t think it would be any exaggeration to say that Jabl Sawda (Saudah, Soudah, Sawda, however you want to spell it) is one of the best spots in Saudi Arabia.  From the drive leading up to it, the scenes along the way, the monkeys to the climate at the top, it simply is spectacular.  No amount of pictures or descriptions will do it justice.  You have to experience it yourself, but…


Before the but, this was my second time visiting Sawda.  The peak of Jabl Sawda is claimed, with a lot of dispute, to be the highest point in Saudi Arabia.  Whatever the case, it is beautifully cold up there.  Like freezing cold.  The type of cold which touches your bones.  That cold.  However, it is beautiful.  You are literally walking through and over clouds at the top. You could easily spend hours at the top admiring the beauty.

But, before the first but, there is (was) a lot more you can do.  There are/were cable cars which take you from the top of Jabl Sawda to the village of Rijal Al-ma’a, or the other way round and back if you don’t want to drive up.  There is/was also a place to do paragliding if you feel adventurous.  And there used to be an Intercontinental Hotel at the top but that seems to be shut now.

So, going back to the first but and the reason for ‘was’ and ‘were’ above: The place is currently going through renovation so when we went, most of the stuff, including shops, were closed.  Somebody told us that they would re-open by Summer 2018.  So is it worth visiting without some of the key attractions? Yes. Unless you specifically want to visit for one of the attractions, I still highly recommend it.