essay about tourism in saudi arabia

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Stephen Hiltner/The New York Times

The sculpted facade of a 2,000-year-old tomb glows in the late-afternoon sun at Hegra, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Crowds of Muslim pilgrims gather outside the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina.

Camels march through the desert on the outskirts of the Empty Quarter, the world’s largest sand sea.

For many years these Saudi Arabian scenes, including the lively open-air markets in Jeddah, were off limits to most travelers.

But not anymore. As it undergoes a profound transformation, Saudi Arabia is spending lavishly to lure tourists with its luxe new resorts ...

... its rich cultural heritage ...

... and its sublime natural beauty.

Can the Saudi government persuade would-be visitors to look past — or reconsider — its longstanding associations with religious extremism, ultraconservatism and human rights abuses?

Will the kingdom’s $800 billion bet on tourism pay off?

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Surprising, Unsettling, Surreal: Roaming Through Saudi Arabia

Wandering alone along the southern fringes of Saudi Arabia’s mountainous Asir Province, some eight miles from the Yemeni border, in a nondescript town with a prominent sculpture of a rifle balanced on an ornately painted plinth, I met a man, Nawab Khan, who was building a palace out of mud.

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Actually, he was rebuilding the structure, restoring it. And when I came across him, he hadn’t yet begun his work for the day; he was seated on the side of the road beneath its red-and-white windows — cross-legged, on a rug, leaning over a pot of tea and a bowl of dates.

Two weeks earlier, on the far side of the country, a fellow traveler had pointed at a map and described the crumbling buildings here, in Dhahran al-Janub, arranged in a colorful open-air museum. Finding myself nearby, I’d detoured to have a look — and there was Mr. Khan, at first looking at me curiously and then waving me over to join him. Sensing my interest in the cluster of irregular towers, he stood up, produced a large key ring and began opening a series of padlocks. When he vanished through a doorway, I followed him into a shadowy stairwell.

This, of course, was my mother’s worst nightmare: Traveling solo, I’d been coaxed by a stranger into an unlit building in a remote Saudi village, within a volatile border area that the U.S. Department of State advises Americans to stay away from .

Saudi Arabia

Reporter’s route

Dhahran al-Janub

Wadi al-Disah

Red Sea Resort

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African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure (Oct 2019)

Rethinking Tourism in Saudi Arabia: Royal Vision 2030 Perspective

• Mohammad Abuhjeeleh, PhD

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Tourism is a leading economic activity in most nations across the world. The tourism industry accounts for about 5% of the global gross domestic product (GDP) and gives rise to about 8% total world employment. As the number of international tourist arrivals keep increasing, the tourism industry has become a top foreign earner in both developed and developing nations. Based upon this development, countries such as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), which were not known for tourism investment before, have started to make much investment in the sector in order to diversify their economy from being a single oil-based economy. KSA as a virgin and undiscovered country can capitalize on tourism to earn more income. This paper strives to provide a synthesis overview of the KSA tourism sector in relation to novel tourism initiatives that are anchored on the country’s vision 2030. In order to achieve its goals, this article analyzed available material on topics discussing tourism associated with KSA tourism activities and initiatives. Information available in the literature and various secondary sources (i.e., newspaper articles, government publications, articles, and books) helped the researcher to understand the progress KSA has made in efforts to improve tourism activities. The review revealed that the political will of KSA has taken major steps to integrate and compliment tourism as an alternative source of income (i.e., launching of tourism Visas by the end of 2019). Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman is making moves to attract tourists to the country by softening some of the infamous and strict rules that existed in KSA. Moreover, the KSA Vision 2030 has plans to reduce the nation’s dependence on oil, with tourism being a significant aspect of this transformation. Thus, Saudi Arabia will open-up tourism on a selected basis. The transformation of KSA will have some ramifications across the globe. KSA is undergoing a radical shift in political and economic spheres that might destabilize the entire Middle East region. Shifting from an oil dependent economy to a more tourism driven economy is likely to send shock waves among the KSA’s neighbours.

• Vision 2030
• Transformation program 2020

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• DOI: 10.29117/SBE.2005.0007
• Corpus ID: 55107434

Tourism In Saudi Arabia And Its Future Development

• M. A. Sadi , J. Henderson
• Published 1 March 2005
• Business, Geography, Economics
• Studies in Business and Economics

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• Middle East
• Saudi Arabia
• Why You Should Visit Saudi...

Why You Should Visit Saudi Arabia at Least Once in Your Lifetime

With Saudi Arabia now opening up to visitors thanks to the recent issuing of tourist visas, there’s never been a better time to explore this fascinating Middle Eastern country. Here’s our list of reasons why you should consider planning a trip.

It’s a spiritual haven for muslims.

Mecca and Medina are Islam’s holiest cities, cherished by over 1 billion Muslims around the globe. Mecca is home to the Kaaba, the cubical building that was first built by Prophet Abraham and his son Ishmael, while Medina has the tomb of the Prophet Muhammad, who Muslims believe is the final messenger of God in a long chain of messengers including Moses and Jesus.

The two cities are off-limits to non-Muslims, but if you are of the faith these two are a must-visit. The spirituality, the history and the sense of unity can be overwhelmingly emotional. This is even more prevalent during Hajj when as many as 3 million people will gather for a deeply personal – yet collective – experience, a journey in which all become equal before God.

In Medina you can visit many historic sites including Quba Mosque, Islam’s first mosque, Al-Baqi’ cemetery, where dozens of Islam ‘s sacred individuals are buried, and the Mountain of Uhud, the site of the battle of Uhud. As for Mecca, the vast majority of its historical sites were unfortunately destroyed in the past few decades. Some were destroyed due to the expansion of the Grand Mosque, others were removed due to religious controversies.

It gives a rare glimpse into pre-Islamic Arabia

Saudi has fascinating pre-Islamic sites including three recent discoveries that changed how we understand history: Al-Magar site in the south, estimated to be around 9,000 years old; an 85,000 year-old human footprint; and the eyebrow-rising Phironic inscription of Ramses III found in the north.

On the other hand, you can explore an array of pre-Islamic rock art in Hail province covering 10,000 years of history, or visit the astonishing 111 monumental tombs of Mada’in Saleh , an all-time favourite for travellers. The sheer size of the tombs and the level of craftwork is enough to bewilder you.

The diversity is endless

Think about it: around a third of the population here are immigrants from around the globe, and local citizens are diverse, coming from very different backgrounds. You will experience this first hand if you travel across the kingdom.

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Saudi is also diverse in history: from sites related to local rulers, such as Barzan area in Hail, Shubra palace in Taif, and the very popular Masmak Fort in Riyadh , to sites related to Islam’s grand empires, including a dam from the Umayyad empire, the Abbasid Darb Zubayada , and the Ottoman castle of Tabuk .

There’s to-die-for scuba diving

Saudi Arabia has endless beaches on the Red Sea, many of them untouched. Vendors now offer boat trips from cities such as Jeddah, Yanbu and Al-lith. A number of sites have shipwrecks, some quite ancient .

The Red Sea offers top diving experiences, warm temperatures and great visibility. You can encounter sharks, barracudas, rays, turtles, morays and a plethora of colorful reef fish. Dolphins are also a common encounter when sailing.

With a mega-project planned on the Red Sea coast, it is expected that Saudi will be a serious competitor in scuba tourism soon.

Local tip: Both the Red Sea and the Gulf coasts offer great birdwatching if you want to see some of Saudi’s wide ranging birdlife .

You can enjoy the greenery. Yes, the greenery!

Saudi Arabia is also diverse environmentally. Mountains in the west and south offer amazing locations for lovers of nature, history, heritage and photography. Photos of the nature in and around mountain cities like Taif , Baha and Tabuk (where it snows !) contrast sharply with the common images of the Saudi desert.

But the most glamorous is probably the city of Abha in the south, with its breathtaking over-the-clouds views in Saudi’s highest peak, Jabal Sawda . Abha has been chosen as the capital of Arab tourism in 2017 , and offers a number of parks, historic sites and festivals.

It’s home to the Arabian leopard

If you’re not a water person, consider visiting this hidden gem: Prince Saud Al-Faisal Wildlife Research Center just outside Taif. Here you will meet endangered Arabian animals in captivity, including the large bustard birds, the beautiful Arabian oryx, and the red-necked ostrich. But the highlight of the visit is the Arabian leopard. It’s virtually impossible to encounter this critically endangered animal in the wild, so meeting one face to face can be magical.

In recent years, the center managed to breed these endangered species including the Arabian leopard. Hopefully we will one day see some of them released in the wild!

Local tip: Before visiting the centre, do give them a call first.

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The role of tourism in economic growth: empirical evidence from saudi arabia.

1. Introduction

2. literature review, 3. data and methodology, 4.1. descriptive statistics, 4.2. unit root test, 4.3. johansen co-integration test, 4.4. co-integration regression, 4.5. granger causality test, 5. discussion, 6. conclusions, institutional review board statement, informed consent statement, data availability statement, conflicts of interest.

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Naseem, S. The Role of Tourism in Economic Growth: Empirical Evidence from Saudi Arabia. Economies 2021 , 9 , 117. https://doi.org/10.3390/economies9030117

Naseem S. The Role of Tourism in Economic Growth: Empirical Evidence from Saudi Arabia. Economies . 2021; 9(3):117. https://doi.org/10.3390/economies9030117

Naseem, Sana. 2021. "The Role of Tourism in Economic Growth: Empirical Evidence from Saudi Arabia" Economies 9, no. 3: 117. https://doi.org/10.3390/economies9030117

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Saudi Arabian Tourism Sector Proposal Essay

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Introduction

Literature review.

The tourism sector plays a significant role in the economic development of any country. Saudi Arabia is a unique tourism destination especially for the Muslim world. This is more so because the country holds the site of pilgrimage for the Muslims, unique Islamic attributes, as well as special traditions (SCTA 2012).

In the recent past, the Saudi Arabian government has made several plans to open up the country to visitors, but in a manner that significantly emphasizes the country’s character, customs as well as traditions. The Saudi Arabian government, the country’s tourism authority, as well as all major stakeholders in the Saudi Arabian tourism industry, have continuously focussed on quality and standards strategy, and action plan to promote the Saudi Arabia’s tourism prospects.

The foundation for a more vibrant Saudi Arabian tourism has been underway for the last decade, and these efforts have recently started bearing fruits. This paper shall review the prospects of Saudi Arabian tourism sector and examine how to make domestic tourism in Saudi Arabia less expensive.

By 2008, major plans had been underway for the opening up of Saudi Arabia for both local and foreign visitors. This was through the establishment of quality cultural and historical centre, women-only hotel and spas, as well as leisure and lifestyle resorts in major visitor attraction destinations within the country such as the country’s Red Sea coast.

It is without doubt that Saudi Arabia is one of the largest tourism destination and market in the Middle East, with regard to the number of visitors alone. Being the home to the two most important Muslim holy mosques, Saudi Arabia appeals to many people. According to the Oxford Business Group (2008, p.118), Saudi Arabia had 13.5 million visitors with those performing pilgrimages accounting for 51%.

In the past couple of decades, tourists have visited Saudi Arabia majorly for religious or pilgrimage and cultural reasons. However, those tourists visiting for purely leisure and shopping reasons have remained significantly few (Scott & Jafari 2010, p. 257). Cordesman (2003, p. 340) notes that in 2000, the government of Saudi Arabia created a supreme commission for tourism, mandated with the task of surveying all the tourism activities in Saudi Arabia by region.

As such, the current Saudi Arabian tourism policy aimed at opening other tourism destinations within Saudi Arabia, which have remained idle and unexplored. The current strategy aims at supporting tourism and Saudi Arabian heritage, enhancing the cultural dimension of the Saudi tourism sector, and promoting both domestic and foreign tourism (Cordesman 2003, p. 340).

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study is to review the prospects of Saudi Arabian tourism sector and examine how to make domestic tourism in Saudi Arabia less expensive. The result of this study shall add on to existing literature, which can be used by the Saudi Arabian government, the private sector, as well as other stakeholders in the tourism sector and other related fields.

Problem Statement

What are the prospects of Saudi Arabian tourism sector and how to make domestic tourism in Saudi Arabia less expensive?

Scope of the study

The study shall analyze data coming from the Saudi Arabian government, ministry in charge of tourism, supreme commission for tourism, tourism service providers, as well as other stakeholders in the tourism sector within Saudi Arabia. To limit the scope of analysis and to keep things comparable, stakeholders in the tourism sector whose primary business lies within tourism service provision shall all be included.

Relevance of the study

The tourism sector plays an important role in economic development of Saudi Arabia. As such, it is relevant and significant to review the prospects of Saudi Arabian tourism sector and how to make domestic tourism in Saudi Arabia less expensive.

Research design

In order to obtain the necessary information for the study, both primary and secondary research shall be undertaken. To substantiate existing literature, data from samples shall also be gathered using surveys and questionnaires, which shall be given at random to existing tourism stakeholders. The manners through which the surveys shall be conducted are expounded below.

The sampling design

Random sampling shall be employed to get a sample group to answer the questionnaire for the study.

Data collection methods

Both primary and secondary research collection methods shall be utilized to gather information that will help bare out the objectives of the study. Previous studies related to the topic shall be analyzed to see their relevance to the topic as well as to supplement the findings gathered from primary research.

Cordesman, A H 2003, Saudi Arabia Enters the 21 st Century: The Political, Foreign Policy, Economic, and Energy Dimensions, Greenwood Publishing Group, Westport.

Oxford Business Group, 2008, The Report: Saudi Arabia 2008, Oxford Business Group Publishing, London.

Scott, N & Jafari, J 2010, Tourism in the Muslim World, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Bingley.

SCTA, 2012, Saudi Arabia: Experience to Discover . Web.

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IvyPanda. (2019, May 5). Saudi Arabian Tourism Sector. https://ivypanda.com/essays/saudi-arabian-tourism-proposal/

"Saudi Arabian Tourism Sector." IvyPanda , 5 May 2019, ivypanda.com/essays/saudi-arabian-tourism-proposal/.

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IvyPanda . 2019. "Saudi Arabian Tourism Sector." May 5, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/saudi-arabian-tourism-proposal/.

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IvyPanda . "Saudi Arabian Tourism Sector." May 5, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/saudi-arabian-tourism-proposal/.

Home / Essay Samples / Travelling / Tourism / Impact Of Tourism In Saudi Arabia

Impact Of Tourism In Saudi Arabia

• Category: Travelling , World
• Topic: Saudi Arabia

Pages: 3 (1552 words)

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Introduction

Economic impacts.

• Balance of Payments
• Investment & Development

Impact of Tourism in Saudi Arabia Sunday, 7 October 2018

Direct contribution, indrect & induced contributions, socio-cultural impact, environmental impacts.

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