8 celebrities who visited Saudi Arabia ... and loved it

Saudi Arabia has more to it than what the media makes of it.

At the end of 2017, the kingdom announced that tourist visas are on their way, ultimately giving people the chance to explore the country first-hand. 

In recent years, a number of celebrities have discovered Saudi Arabia in all its forms  - some for religious purposes, others for business reasons. 

Here are eight celebs who visited Saudi Arabia ... and loved every bit of it:

In November 2017, Jason Momoa - an American actor known for his role as 'Khal Drogo' in the TV series Game of Thrones - made it out to Saudi Arabia to take part in Comic Con Arabia, an international pop culture phenomenon that started in California for fans of superheroes, science fiction TV shows, and the like. 

Momoa was accompanied by Egyptian pro-wrestler Mada Abdelhamid during his trip. 

Abdelhamid posted a photo of the duo in Riyadh behind a massive tray of "mothabba" - a traditional Saudi rice and chicken based dish. 

The two went full Saudi mode, savoring every bite in a dewaniya. 

"Now this is what I call a FEAST!!!!! Eating like kings over here in Saudi Arabia. We literally couldn't move afterwards.... but we couldn't stop eating either," Abdelhamid wrote in his Instagram caption. 

In April, WWE superstar Mark Henry made it out to Saudi Arabia as part of the entertainment brand's effort to find the next wave of superstars to join its professional roster.

Henry was among those leading the four-day talent tryout in Jeddah, which saw more than 25 athletes participate. 

He donned a ghutrah, the traditional attire worn by men in Gulf countries, like a boss.

Giancarlo Esposito - an award-winning American actor well-known for his role as "Gus" in the TV series Breaking Bad - made it out to the kingdom in February 2017 to take part in Comic Con Arabia.

Prior to his arrival to the kingdom, Esposito expressed heavy excitement on Twitter.

"VERY excited to be a part of the very first Comic Con in Saudi Arabia! Can't wait to meet you all and experience Jeddah!!" he tweeted at the time.

During a Q&A session, one attendee asked Esposito if he would be willing to work with young filmmakers in Saudi Arabia. 

"I'd like to come here and work with Saudi filmmakers, it would be my blessing," Esposito said at the time.

In 2010, former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson made it to Mecca to perform Umrah, the minor Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca.

"I just left the Holy City of Mecca where I was blessed to have been able to make Umrah. Inshallah (God willing), Allah will continue to bless me to stay on the straight path," he tweeted at the time.

Tyson converted to Islam, taking the name Malik Abdul Aziz, during his incarceration between the years 1992 and 1995. 

He was jailed for rape.

In March, American actor Ian Somerhalder visited Saudi Arabia to take part in Jeddah's Comic Con.

Upon arrival, the Vampire Diaries star expressed excitement in a video posted to Saudi Comic Con's official Twitter account.

"I just landed in Jeddah, and I am ecstatic to see you all at Comic Con in a couple hours," he said, ultimately causing a meltdown on Twitter soon after.

In May 2017, French footballer Paul Pogba headed to Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah.

The Manchester United star announced his trip on Instagram at the time, and wrote that he was on his way "to go say thank you for this season," adding "en route to my prayers,"

Pogba also posted a video of himself standing in front of the Kaaba, donning the traditional white garb worn by Muslim men during pilgrimage, amassing over 6 million views on the social media platform.

In April, WWE superstar Dean Muhtadi, also known as Mojo Rawley, made it out to Saudi Arabia to lead the four-day talent tryout in Jeddah, WWE's attempt to scout for new talents to join its professional roster. 

Rawley did not miss out on exploring the kingdom and documented every bit of it on social media. 

"Amazing to see the transformation the city has experienced. One of the best parts of the job is being able to see the world. Living life. Thank you to the Saudi people for making us feel like family all week. Shukran jazeelin!" he wrote in an Instagram caption.

In 2017, American country singer Toby Keith performed in Riyadh alongside Saudi's very own lute player Rabeh Saqer in a male-only event.

The "local meets international" music lineup was part of the welcoming program for U.S. President Donald Trump during his visit to the kingdom, in what is his first official overseas trip since taking office. 

According to The National, Keith insisted his performance had nothing to do with Trump's official visit.

"I just wanted to make history," he said.