Youtube Description:
I cycled alone across Saudi Arabia.
For three months, I would pedal thousands of kilometres across the Arabian desert, travelling through one of the most misunderstood and rapidly changing countries on Earth.
From the desert megaprojects of NEOM and the transformation plans of Vision 2030, to remote Bedouin villages, ancient oasis valleys, camel herders, and extraordinary hospitality deep in the desert, this was a once in a lifetime opportunity to immerse myself in Saudi culture.
In this episode, I cycle from the Red Sea coast into the Hejaz mountains, exploring modern Saudi Arabia while trying to understand a country often defined abroad by its authoritarian government, religious conservatism, oil wealth, and human rights controversies.
Along the way, I stay in mosques and desert farms, learn about Bedouin culture, explore the oasis valley of Al Disah, and witness the enormous transformation projects reshaping the kingdom under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
On my cycling journey across Saudi Arabia, I’d attempt to understand one of the most fascinating and misunderstood countries in the Middle East, the good and the bad.
#SaudiArabia #NEOM #Vision2030 #MiddleEast #TravelDocumentary
00:00 Cycling Across Saudi Arabia
01:47 Sleeping in a Saudi Mosque
03:45 Nervous About Travelling Saudi Arabia Solo
05:20 Cycling Through NEOM
09:00 Changes in Saudi Arabia: Tourism, Religion & Vision 2030
10:50 Cycling Into the Hejaz Mountains
16:32 Staying on a Saudi Desert Farm
19:38 The Oasis Valley of Al Disah
20:29 Saudi Hospitality in the Desert
25:21 Cycling Further Into the Arabian Desert
28:42 Bedouin Hospitality Explained
31:29 Life in a Bedouin Village
32:40 Baking Traditional Bedouin Arbood Bread
35:56 Searching for the Giant White Camel
41:36 Leaving the Desert Farm
45:31 Hosted by Saudi Police in AlUla
46:44 Saudi Arabia’s Tourism Revolution
48:50 Visiting a Saudi Restaurant
49:53 A Traditional Saudi Picnic
51:46 Reflecting on Saudi Hospitality
🎥 Filming Equipment
Mirrorless Camera - Sony A6700:
Lens - Sony 18-135mm:
Action Cam - GoPro 13:
Shotgun Mic - RØDE VideoMic NTG:
Small Tripod - GorillaPod:
Large Tripod - Benro RoadtripPro:
Drone - DJI Mini 5 Fly More Combo:
🚲 Bike Equipment
40L Rear Panniers:
12.5L Front Panniers:
The links above are affiliate links, meaning I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
I cycled alone across Saudi Arabia.
For three months, I would pedal thousands of kilometres across the Arabian desert, travelling through one of the most misunderstood and rapidly changing countries on Earth.
From the desert megaprojects of NEOM and the transformation plans of Vision 2030, to remote Bedouin villages, ancient oasis valleys, camel herders, and extraordinary hospitality deep in the desert, this was a once in a lifetime opportunity to immerse myself in Saudi culture.
In this episode, I cycle from the Red Sea coast into the Hejaz mountains, exploring modern Saudi Arabia while trying to understand a country often defined abroad by its authoritarian government, religious conservatism, oil wealth, and human rights controversies.
Along the way, I stay in mosques and desert farms, learn about Bedouin culture, explore the oasis valley of Al Disah, and witness the enormous transformation projects reshaping the kingdom under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
On my cycling journey across Saudi Arabia, I’d attempt to understand one of the most fascinating and misunderstood countries in the Middle East, the good and the bad.
#SaudiArabia #NEOM #Vision2030 #MiddleEast #TravelDocumentary
00:00 Cycling Across Saudi Arabia
01:47 Sleeping in a Saudi Mosque
03:45 Nervous About Travelling Saudi Arabia Solo
05:20 Cycling Through NEOM
09:00 Changes in Saudi Arabia: Tourism, Religion & Vision 2030
10:50 Cycling Into the Hejaz Mountains
16:32 Staying on a Saudi Desert Farm
19:38 The Oasis Valley of Al Disah
20:29 Saudi Hospitality in the Desert
25:21 Cycling Further Into the Arabian Desert
28:42 Bedouin Hospitality Explained
31:29 Life in a Bedouin Village
32:40 Baking Traditional Bedouin Arbood Bread
35:56 Searching for the Giant White Camel
41:36 Leaving the Desert Farm
45:31 Hosted by Saudi Police in AlUla
46:44 Saudi Arabia’s Tourism Revolution
48:50 Visiting a Saudi Restaurant
49:53 A Traditional Saudi Picnic
51:46 Reflecting on Saudi Hospitality
🎥 Filming Equipment
Mirrorless Camera - Sony A6700:
Lens - Sony 18-135mm:
Action Cam - GoPro 13:
Shotgun Mic - RØDE VideoMic NTG:
Small Tripod - GorillaPod:
Large Tripod - Benro RoadtripPro:
Drone - DJI Mini 5 Fly More Combo:
🚲 Bike Equipment
40L Rear Panniers:
12.5L Front Panniers:
The links above are affiliate links, meaning I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Explore More
Who is Tieran Freedman?For the past five years, I've been cycling around the world in search of stories, from the eye-opening, to the bizarre, to the inspiring. Along the way, I've interviewed local people in 20 different countries to better understand their cultures and
in turn, my own.
What is Saudi Arabia?Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is a country in Western Asia constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula. With a land area of approximately 2,150,000 km2 (830,000 sq mi), Saudi Arabia is geographically the largest
sovereign state in the Middle East, the 2nd largest in the Arab world (after Algeria), the 5th largest in Asia, and the 12th largest in the world. Saudi Arabia is bordered by Jordan and Iraq to the north, Kuwait to the northeast, Qatar, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates to the east, Oman to the southeast and Yemen to the south; most of its terrain consists of arid desert, lowland and mountains. As of October 2018, the Saudi economy was the largest in the Middle East and the 18th largest in the world. Saudi Arabia also enjoys one of the world's youngest populations; 50% of its 33.4 million people are under 25 years old.
What is Sin?In Abrahamic contexts, sin is the act of violating God's will. Sin can also be viewed as anything that violates the ideal relationship between an individual and God; or as any diversion from the ideal order for human living. To sin has been defined
as "to miss the mark".
Sins fall in a spectrum from minor errors to deadly misdeeds. Catholicism regards the least corrupt sins as venial sins which are part of human living and carry immediate consequences on earth, and, if unrepented for, more painful purgation, assuming the person is destined to heaven, as it is written in the formation letter "Purgatory", "most of the early Fathers of the Church speak of a cleansing fire, though we cannot tell whether this means actual or spiritual fire."
Conversely, sins of great evil are mortal sins which bring the consequence of hell if they are not addressed either through an act of perfect contrition or going to confession about them.
