Tourism in Saudi Arabia
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Author: Aramco ExPats
Released 4 June 2006
Welcome to Jeddah
Photograph by Aramco ExPats
Saudi Arabia's promise to loosen its visa restrictions has resulted in many tour operators planning excursions to the desert kingdom.
Geographic Expeditions, based in San Francisco, gave up on the country in 2000 after a group was denied entry at the last minute. But company president James Sano says now "we'll probably offer a trip in the fall."
Saudi Arabia's current visa system requires that an individual or tour operator have an invitation from a Saudi citizen who will promise to be financially responsible. In addition, applications must be sent to Saudi Arabia. The new plan allows that an invitation from the foreign ministry will be accepted, and applications will be considered at Saudi consulates abroad. These changes are expected to be in effect for fall travel.
While entering Saudi Arabia may become easier, some restrictions will still apply. Female visitors must follow local rules, including having their hair covered, eating in restricted areas of restaurants and being accompanied outdoors by a male.
Non-Muslims may not visit the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, but may see the picturesque city of Huraymila, the modern cities of Jiddah and Riyadh, and the dramatic plains, mountains and desert landscapes.
An area that will likely increase in tourism is the al-Jouf region. Here, the stones of Rajajil form a striking pattern against the clear desert sky, the fallen and tilting sand-colored slabs conjuring up visions of England's Stonehenge. Nobody really knows why the 50 groups of about five pillars each are clustered on the edge of the Nafud desert in northwestern Saudi Arabia.
Archeologists believe the Rajajil stones date from before 3,000 BC, when human civilization first began to thrive in ancient Egypt and Iraq. There is no consensus on whether the site was a temple, a burial ground, a place used for astronomy or something else.
Local authorities hope the mystery of these standing stones will attract a new wave of tourism through the area.
"Because of the political situation, tourism has been low but the strategy is to revive it and we are hoping to make al-Jouf a tourist attraction," said Hussein al-Mubarak, a former museum director who now heads a committee to encourage tourism.