Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia Travel Guides
Written by the specialists who plan our trips to Saudi Arabia: where to go, when, and what is worth knowing before you book.
All Saudi Arabia Travel Guides
The Law vs Reality: Gay Travel in Dubai
Homosexuality remains illegal in Dubai with severe penalties, yet thousands of LGBTQ+ travelers visit safely each year through discretion and careful planning. There’s even a sizable contingent of LGBTQ+ expats living in Dubai. While UAE law prescribes up to 14 years imprisonment for same-sex activity, enforcement has shifted dramatically since 2015, with no documented arrests of tourists for consensual private behavior.
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The Law vs Reality: Gay Travel in Turkey
Turkey remains one of the most rewarding destinations in the Mediterranean, with extraordinary hotels, private yachts along the Aegean coast and fascinating layers of history, from Roman to Byzantine to Ottoman and beyond. For LGBTQ+ travelers, however, it is not a destination we would currently describe as completely straightforward. Consensual same-sex sexual activity is legal, and LGBTQ+ travelers continue to visit Istanbul, Bodrum, Cappadocia and Turkey’s major resort areas.
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The Law vs. Reality: Gay Travel in Kenya
From the vast savannas of the Masai Mara to the shores of Lake Nakuru with millions of flamingos, Kenya is an unbeatable safari destination. It can be something of a minefield for LGBTQ+ travelers, with colonial-era laws criminalizing homosexuality with penalties up to 14 years imprisonment. Nonetheless, thousands of gay travelers visit annually through specialized tour operators who navigate this challenging landscape with remarkable success.
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Avoiding Middle East Flight Routes: Alternatives for LGBTQ+ Travelers
For many of our clients, the question of how to get somewhere matters almost as much as the destination itself. Transiting through Qatar, the UAE, or Saudi Arabia has become routine for long-haul travel from the UK, Europe, and increasingly the United States.
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Law vs Reality: Gay Travel in Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia presents perhaps the most complex contradiction in modern travel: a nation spending unprecedented billions to attract international tourists while maintaining some of the world's harshest anti-LGBTQ+ laws. As Vision 2030 reshapes the country's economic landscape, gay travelers find themselves navigating an intricate web of legal restrictions, economic pragmatism, and evolving social realities.
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Frequently asked questions
Traveling with Out Of Office
What does Out Of Office do?
Out Of Office is a luxury LGBTQ+ travel company specializing in tailor-made vacations and extraordinary journeys around the world. We create bespoke luxury vacations, LGBTQ+ honeymoons, safaris, cruises, beach escapes, private tours and group trips, with every itinerary designed around you. Our travel specialists combine global expertise, first-hand destination knowledge and trusted local partners to create seamless, highly personalized experiences.
Is Out Of Office a gay travel agency?
Out Of Office is an LGBTQ+ owned and run luxury travel specialist, with particular expertise in gay and LGBTQ+ travel. We understand the additional considerations that can come with traveling as an LGBTQ+ person or couple, from local laws and customs to finding genuinely welcoming hotels and experiences.
We welcome every traveler, including friends, families and allies. Many of our clients are not members of the LGBTQ+ community, but choose Out Of Office for our luxury travel expertise, personalized service and discretion.
Do you create tailor-made LGBTQ+ vacations?
Yes. Every tailor-made trip with Out Of Office is designed from scratch around your interests, travel style, budget and the way you want to experience a destination. We can arrange luxury hotels, private transfers, flights, guides, excursions, cruises and special experiences as part of one personalized itinerary. The journeys shown on our website are there to inspire you rather than restrict you; only clearly identified group departures operate as fixed itineraries.
How do you choose LGBTQ+ friendly hotels and destinations?
We combine first-hand destination knowledge with trusted local expertise to recommend luxury hotels, resorts and experiences where LGBTQ+ travelers can feel informed and welcome. We also consider the laws, customs and attitudes of each destination, because LGBTQ+ rights and experiences differ around the world. Our team regularly visit many of the properties we work with and where a destination requires greater awareness, we give you clear and considered advice so that you can make an informed decision about where and how you travel.
We plant trees for every booking
For every booking made with Out Of Office we commit to planting trees in your name to help reduce the impact of travel on future generations. You'll even get a link to see where your trees are planted in the world via our partner Ecologi.
We donate to Rainbow Railroad with every booking
Rainbow Railroad helps LGBTQ+ people escape state-sponsored violence and persecution. A donation goes with every trip we sell, funded by us and never added to your price.
Start Planning Your Trip
Tell us where you would love to go, when you are thinking of traveling and what kind of trip you have in mind. One of our LGBTQ+ travel specialists will create a tailor-made itinerary designed around your destination, style and preferences.
One named specialist, first inquiry to homecoming. No call center, and nothing is charged until you decide to book.