10 best motorcycle roads in Saudi Arabia you need to ride

Leaving Jeddah for Taif is one of the easiest ways to turn a city ride into a mountain trip. The journey starts near the Red Sea and gradually climbs toward the western highlands, where the surroundings and temperature begin to change noticeably.

Road character: Fast highway followed by climbing mountain roads
Skill level: Intermediate
Highlight: A relatively short ride connecting the coast with the highlands
Best fit: Sharmax GP 881 Ultra

This is a good place for the GP 881 Ultra sports bike. Its 778 cc four-cylinder engine produces 95 hp, giving the bike the stronger acceleration and road-focused character that suit a shorter, more energetic ride.

Among Saudi Arabia's motorbike routes, Jeddah to Taif is especially appealing when the pleasure of riding matters as much as reaching the destination. You do not need to pack for several days or spend all morning crossing the country to find a road that feels different from everyday city riding.

Continue south and the trip becomes much more about the mountains. The route toward Al Baha moves through Saudi Arabia's western highlands, where long bends and repeated elevation changes replace the flatter roads found elsewhere in the country.

Road character: Mountain roads, sweeping bends and changing elevation
Skill level: Intermediate
Highlight: One of the most scenic highland journeys in western Saudi Arabia
Best fit: Sharmax RR 801 V Ultra

The RR 801 V Ultra cruiser bike fits this route well because it strikes a useful balance between road performance and comfort. There is enough bike underneath you to enjoy the more open sections without turning the whole journey into a supersport exercise.

Of the top motorcycle roads in Saudi Arabia, this is one where slowing down occasionally is part of the appeal. Mountain views and changing surroundings give riders plenty of reasons to stop along the way rather than treat Al Baha simply as an endpoint.

If Taif to Al Baha gives you a taste of Saudi Arabia's highlands, continuing toward Abha turns the ride into a proper motorcycle tour.

The road takes you farther through the Sarawat Mountains, connecting some of the most distinctive landscapes in southwestern Saudi Arabia.

Road character: Long mountain sections and sustained elevation changes
Skill level: Intermediate
Highlight: A full highland touring experience
Best fit: Sharmax GL 991 Ultra

This is where a purpose-built touring motorcycle starts making more sense. The GL 991 Ultra is designed around longer journeys, with a comfortable riding setup and luggage capacity that become increasingly useful after several hours on the road.

Among the country's great motorcycle roads, Al Baha to Abha is less about attacking one exciting section and more about settling into a journey. The road keeps changing around you, and the motorcycle needs to remain comfortable long after the first hour has passed.

Not every memorable route has to mean hundreds of kilometres. Abha and the surrounding highlands offer shorter roads where riders can enjoy mountain scenery without planning an overnight journey. The ride toward Al Soudah is particularly well suited to a morning or evening escape.

Road character: Short mountain roads with bends and steep elevation changes
Skill level: Intermediate
Highlight: Dramatic scenery within a relatively compact ride
Best fit: Sharmax GP 451

The GP 451 supersports bike makes sense here precisely because this is not a long-distance touring route. A lighter, sportier motorcycle lets the rider enjoy a road where responsive handling matters more than luggage space or long-range comfort.

For anyone exploring shorter motorcycle travel routes, the Abha area is a reminder that a satisfying ride does not need to consume the whole day.

The road from Abha toward Jazan offers one of the biggest changes in scenery on this list.

You begin in the cooler southern highlands and gradually descend toward the warmer Red Sea coast. The shift is obvious not only in the landscape but also in the riding environment.

Road character: Mountain descent followed by faster lower-altitude roads
Skill level: Intermediate
Highlight: Highlands and coast within the same journey
Best fit: Sharmax Spyder 661

The Spyder 661 trike suits this route especially well if comfort is the priority. Its relaxed seating position, spacious storage and stable three-wheel layout are designed around longer-distance cruising, making it a strong fit for a scenic ride that gradually carries you from the mountains toward the coast.

This is one of those best motorcycle roads and rides where the appeal comes from movement between completely different environments rather than from one particular corner or viewpoint.

Northern Saudi Arabia brings an entirely different atmosphere.

Around AlUla and Tabuk, huge sandstone formations and open desert replace the greener highlands of the south. Add Wadi Al Disah to the journey and canyon landscapes become part of the experience as well.

Road character: Long paved sections with potentially rougher access roads near some destinations
Skill level: Intermediate
Highlight: Some of the most distinctive desert scenery on the list
Best fit: Sharmax Enduro 250

The Enduro 250 is a particularly sensible match here because it is built as a travel enduro for everyday roads, weekend routes and light off-road sections. That extra flexibility is useful when a paved approach gives way to manageable gravel or a rougher access road.

This is one of the motorcycle roads where riders should pay particular attention to what happens after the main highway ends. Deep sand is still a different matter, so checking current access conditions before leaving the asphalt remains essential.

The journey from AlUla toward Umluj connects two completely different sides of Saudi Arabia.

You leave behind rock formations and desert landscapes and eventually reach the Red Sea coast. The contrast gives the trip a clear sense of progression rather than making it feel like a long highway transfer.

Road character: Long open roads connecting desert and coast
Skill level: Intermediate
Highlight: One of the strongest desert-to-sea transitions
Best fit: Sharmax GL 570 Ultra

The GL 570 Ultra touring bike is a better fit here than a sport-focused model. Its touring setup, upright riding position and 19.5-litre fuel tank are designed around longer journeys, where comfort and fewer unnecessary stops begin to matter.

For riders looking at longer motorcycle travel routes in Saudi Arabia, AlUla to Umluj delivers more variety than many rides of a similar distance.

Continue south from Umluj and the Red Sea becomes the central theme of the journey. Connecting Umluj, Yanbu and Jeddah creates a longer coastal trip with several natural stopping points along the way. Instead of riding out and returning on the same road, you can make the coastline itself part of the itinerary.

Road character: Long paved coastal stretches and steady cruising
Skill level: Beginner to intermediate
Highlight: A multi-stop Red Sea ride
Best fit: Sharmax Custom 1000 RST Roadster

The Custom 1000 RST Roadster suits the mood here. Its low-slung V-twin format is more interested in relaxed open-road cruising than chasing every corner, which is exactly what a long coastal ride asks for.

For anyone searching for road motorbike trips ideas in Saudi Arabia, this is one of the easier routes to turn into a relaxed two-day journey rather than a demanding cross-country expedition.

Head east from Riyadh and the character changes again. This is a route of long expressways and open distance, with Al Ahsa providing a natural break before continuing toward Khobar and the Gulf coast.

Road character: Long highways and sustained cruising
Skill level: Intermediate riders comfortable with longer distances
Highlight: A straightforward eastern Saudi touring route
Best fit: Sharmax RR 661

The RR 661 cruiser brings a more relaxed road-bike character to this journey. Its cruiser-inspired riding style, low 720 mm seat and belt drive suit steady paved-road riding, while the chassis is designed to remain composed when the pace picks up.

Among Saudi Arabia's best motorcycle roads, this route is less about technical riding and more about settling into a steady rhythm while watching the landscape gradually change around you.

This is one of the longest routes. Linking Riyadh with Wadi ad-Dawasir, Taif, Abha and Jazan creates a cross-country journey of roughly 2,000 km. It combines central Saudi landscapes with western and southern mountains before eventually taking riders toward the coast.

Road character: Long highways, desert sections, mountains and a coastal finish
Skill level: Experienced long-distance riders
Highlight: The most complete multi-day journey on this list
Best fit: Sharmax RR 1390 Black Star

The RR 1390 Black Star gives this long route a different character from a conventional tourer. As a power cruiser, it is a strong match for riders who want to cover serious distance while still enjoying a more muscular, road-focused riding experience.

For anyone planning a serious motorcycle road trip, this is the route that demands the most preparation. It also gives perhaps the strongest sense of travelling across Saudi Arabia rather than simply riding to another nearby destination.