Saudi Arabia: Non-Religious Tourists Now Welcome

By Larry Habegger | Permalink | No Comments | May 9th, 2006 | Trackback

Saudi Arabia is hoping to develop a tourism industry outside the religious pilgrimage market and will start issuing regular tourist visas to foreigners in June. Until now most visitors not arriving on work assignments have been religious pilgrims going to Mecca for the hajj or the lesser pilgrimage, umra. Officials hope to draw visitors from all over the world. The holy cities of Mecca and Medina will remain off-limits to non-Muslims but the country has many ancient sites. The withering summer heat, strict moral customs and minimal tourist infrastructure will work against high tourism numbers, however. These factors contribute to the Saudis themselves often preferring to take their vacations abroad.

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