How to Plan a Middle East Trip for First Time Visitors

Understand Visa Requirements Before Anything Else

This is where most first time visitors lose time and money. Visa rules across the Middle East vary significantly by country and by your passport:

• UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman offer visa on arrival or free e-visa for most western passports
• Jordan offers visa on arrival at Queen Alia International Airport
• Saudi Arabia now offers tourist e-visas for citizens of 49 countries since opening to tourism in 2019
• Egypt requires a visa on arrival or e-visa depending on nationality

Always check the official embassy website of your destination country before booking flights. Visa rules change and third party sites are not always updated.

Plan Around the Season Not the Price

This is the most skipped step for first time Middle East visitors and the one that makes the biggest difference to the actual experience:

• October to April is the ideal travel window for most of the region. Temperatures are comfortable, outdoor sites are enjoyable and major events happen during these months
• May to September brings extreme heat across the Gulf — temperatures regularly exceed 40 degrees Celsius in Dubai, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Outdoor sightseeing becomes genuinely unpleasant
• Ramadan falls on a different date each year and significantly changes the experience — restaurants close during daylight hours, alcohol is restricted further and the atmosphere shifts entirely. It can be a meaningful cultural experience if you go in knowing what to expect

Respect the Culture and You Will Be Treated Like a Guest

This is the unique angle most travel guides skip over in favor of packing lists. The Middle East has some of the most genuinely hospitable cultures in the world — but that hospitality comes with mutual respect as the unspoken expectation:

• Dress modestly in public spaces, particularly in Saudi Arabia, Oman and Jordan. Shoulders and knees covered is the baseline
• Public displays of affection are frowned upon across the region regardless of which country you are in
• Friday is the holy day in most of the region meaning some attractions, government offices and smaller businesses close or operate on reduced hours
• Learning even two or three words of Arabic — “shukran” for thank you, “marhaba” for hello — goes further than most travelers expect

Budget Honestly for the Region

The Middle East has a wide price range depending on destination:

• Dubai and Qatar skew expensive, particularly for hotels and dining at tourist facing restaurants
• Jordan and Egypt are significantly more affordable with excellent value accommodation and food
• Tipping is expected and appreciated across most of the region, typically 10 to 15 percent in restaurants

Tourists in the first half of 2024 contributed $38.1 billion in expenditure across the region which tells you this is not a destination where visitors are holding back. Budget accordingly and you will not be caught short.

The Middle East rewards curious, respectful and prepared travelers more than almost any other region in the world. Go in with the right expectations, the right season and even a basic understanding of the culture you are stepping into, and it will be one of the most memorable trips you ever take.