Visited January 2023.

Solo traveller without a driving license spends more (money and time) in Saudi Arabia than those who rent cars and have a travel pal to share a hotel room. But Saudi Arabia is still a country where you can enjoy hitchhiking and meeting people like anywhere in so called civilised countries…

Hima Cultural Area is pretty remote and not connected to the outside world with any kind of public transportation. I took the night bus from Riyadh to Najran and asked the driver to stop at the conjunction to Hima. I was not alone to leave the bus there and other passengers offered me a lift to Hima site, although it was not on their way. And they offered me a morning coffee in a local restaurant, found a guide in Hima village to show me around, informed the local imam that I was there in case I do not come back before night (😊) and arranged a place to sleep if I’d decide to stay… I left my backpack at the gas station – the local guide said it was safe, and it was! – I started exploring the area.

Here you are free to wander. There are some places with fences but my “guide” told me: it means there something interesting there behind, so let’s go! And he was right – but I do not recommend breaking Saudi laws of not crossing the line without Saudi citizens…

Local people do not know what UNESCO list is. For them Hima site is just a very old inscription or pile of stone, meaning nothing. They do not learn at school about it. Walking around, we played a game: find something and show me… And that was fun! Because it’s the only way to discover the site.  After one hour my “guide” decided to go back home… So I had this area just for myself.

There are 5 wells there and they are still used by local people to bring water to Hima; these wells are part of the property, and do not be misled when you see a big trucks pomping water… The history is still alive.

To get out of the site – you do not even have to wave… Somebody will stop and help you get to where you want to get… And do not wonder if you stop on the way for a meal…

BTW: I spent five hours on the site. (Bring water!) Maybe it is not my favourite ‘library’ and ‘art gallery’, but worth to visit and discover where different kind of writing/visual imagination met…