Middle East
Can you drink tap water in Saudi Arabia?
Boil itFilter or boil
Can you drink the tap water in Saudi Arabia?
Tap water is treated, but filter or boil it. Desalinated tap water is treated, but building tanks vary; almost everyone drinks bottled or filtered water. Ice in restaurants is fine.
Tap water by place in Saudi Arabia
| Place | Verdict | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mecca | Filter or boil | Desalinated tap water is treated but tanks vary; drink bottled or filtered. Free zamzam water is available at the Haram. |
| Riyadh | Filter or boil | Desalinated tap water is treated, but building tanks vary; almost everyone drinks bottled or filtered water. Restaurant ice is fine. |
| Jeddah | Filter or boil | Desalinated tap water is treated, but building tanks vary; almost everyone drinks bottled or filtered water. Restaurant ice is fine. |
| Medina | Filter or boil | Desalinated tap water is treated, but building tanks vary; almost everyone drinks bottled or filtered water. Restaurant ice is fine. |
| AlUla | Filter or boil | Desalinated tap water is treated, but building tanks vary; almost everyone drinks bottled or filtered water. Restaurant ice is fine. |
| Dammam | Filter or boil | Desalinated tap water is treated, but building tanks vary; almost everyone drinks bottled or filtered water. |
| Abha | Filter or boil | Treated, but almost everyone drinks bottled or filtered water; building tanks vary. |
Tap water by place
Sources
- World Bank: safely managed drinking water
- US State Department travel advisory
- UK FCDO travel advice: Saudi Arabia
- Saudi unified visa platform
- Visit Saudi
- World Bank open data
Compiled and reviewed by SoloSquare. How we compile and score this. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.