Can unmarried couples stay in hotels in Saudi Arabia?

Many unmarried couples ask if they can live together as boyfriend, girlfriend in a hotel as per the new rules in Saudi Arabia. The implication is different for Saudis, expats, and tourists.

Unmarried Saudi couples

Unmarried Saudi couples are not allowed to live together under one roof, neither they are allowed to share a hotel room in KSA.

• At the time of checking into a hotel, the hotel management is required to obtain the Saudi National IDs of the couple and ensure that the Mahram relation exists between them.
• At the time of renting out an apartment, the landlord is required to ensure that the Saudi tenant is married if he is planning to keep his family (wife/girlfriend) in the apartment.

Unmarried Expat couples

Similarly, unmarried expat couples or Iqama holders are also not allowed to live together in an apartment nor in a hotel room in Saudi Arabia.

• Hotel management and landlord are still required to check their marital status.
• However, being foreigners they are not under the strict radar of the authorities. 

Unmarried Tourists couples

According to the new rules applicable in Saudi Arabia, unmarried couples on a tourist visa can live together in a hotel room.

• The hotel management would ask you to provide passport copies. But they are not obliged to check if you are in a marital relationship.
• How to apply for a tourist visa?

• Source: BBC