‘Poor tourism infrastructure obstacle to tourism in KSA for now’

[al-Hasani]

@FaujHistorian

Interesting input. Let me remind you of the fact that KSA is growing on every level and that KSA has more foreign students studying at American universities than any other country outside of China, India and South Korea. In fact Saudi Arabia has more foreign students per capita in the US than anybody else.

There are Saudi Arabians who have been distinguished in those fields you mention although those fields have historically been dominated by Westerners. In particular Americans, French, British and Germans.

In my field, chemical engineering, Saudi Arabia has among the most papers per year and in general Saudi Arabian chemical engineers are of great quality and work across the world in big foreign firms (international) or in big domestic firms.

Anyway a step in that direction you want is something a real tourism sector could create since there is enormous potential there.

 

[FaujHistorian]

@FaujHistorian

Interesting input. Let me remind you of the fact that KSA is growing on every level and that KSA has more foreign students studying at American universities than any other country outside of China, India and South Korea. In fact Saudi Arabia has more foreign students per capita in the US than anybody else.

There are Saudi Arabians who have been distinguished in those fields you mention although those fields have historically been dominated by Westerners. In particular Americans, French, British and Germans.

In my field, chemical engineering, Saudi Arabia has among the most papers per year and in general Saudi Arabian chemical engineers are of great quality and work across the world in big foreign firms (international) or in big domestic firms.

Anyway a step in that direction you want is something a real tourism sector could create since there is enormous potential there.

Well said.

I think Saudi nation is changing at a breakneck speed and in positive direction.

Something has awoken the hopes and dreams in ordinary people. And I see that during my interaction

Yes in some cases they have a long way to go

Especially in English reading and mathematics.

But the start is good and progress so far is enormous


Best wishes

 

[al-Hasani]

How I wish that such work would have been done much earlier. But better now than never I guess.

King Abdul Aziz palace to become historical center

HERITAGE SITE: The King Abdul Aziz Palace and its surrounding area in Al-Kharj will be transformed into a historical center named after the founding king. (AN photo)

RIYADH: RASHID HASSAN

Published — Friday 17 January 2014

Last update 17 January 2014 2:17 am

Authorities in Riyadh are planning to rehabilitate King Abdul Aziz Palace and its surrounding area in Al-Kharj, with the aim of transforming it into a historical center named after the founding king.
“Riyadh governorate and Al-Kharj municipality in collaboration with the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) and Ar-Riyadh Development Authority (ADA) are preparing a study to rehabilitate King Abdul Aziz Palace and its surrounding area in Al-Kharj,” sources said here on Thursday.
“The project includes establishing a museum for Al-Kharj municipality inside the King Abdul Aziz palace,” sources added.
The SCTA and local authorities are coordinately together to preserve the museum’s culture and have organized a number of exhibitions and festivals to highlight the rich cultural and historical heritage in the region.
The SCTA with the help of local authorities has undertaken the establishment of five regional museums in Al-Dama, Al-Baha, Abha, Hail and Tabuk.
Furthermore, work is underway to develop and upgrade six existing museums in Tem’a, Najran, Jazan, Al-Ahsa, Al-Ula, and Al-Jouf, sources said, adding that work underway includes the development of museum buildings.
Besides establishing new museums and developing existing ones, many heritage and historic buildings have been restored and transformed into museums across many municipalities.
The SCTA has also been raising awareness about the importance of cultural and touristic sites as an economic resource and employment opportunity for the Saudi youth. The commission has urged the public and private sectors to finance and invest the Kingdom’s tourism sector.

King Abdul Aziz palace to become historical center | Arab News — Saudi Arabia News, Middle East News, Opinion, Economy and more.

 

[Wahhab2701]

One thing I miss in this thread is how KSA government prepare their people to cope with the tourism in order to get a maximum benefit for the people. Tourism industry is just like any other industries, it must be run by a competent and well trained personnel. Do you have any education institutions in KSA that specialise in tourism? In the place where I live, we have ton of them. In these school students are prepared to handle tourist since their arrival in airport until they are about to depart from the country.

 

[al-Hasani]

One thing I miss in this thread is how KSA government prepare their people to cope with the tourism in order to get a maximum benefit for the people. Tourism industry is just like any other industries, it must be run by a competent and well trained personnel. Do you have any education institutions in KSA that specialise in tourism? In the place where I live, we have ton of them. In these school students are prepared to handle tourist since their arrival in airport until they are about to depart from the country.

All Saudi Arabians over 18 will get a free ticket to Pattaya and 2 weeks of all inclusive!

4 women included and booze. After all the first recorded use of alcohol emerged in the ME and the word "alcohol" is of Arabic origin.
The few lucky ones will be able to rent a whole haram.

 

[Wahhab2701]

All Saudi Arabians over 18 will get a free ticket to Pattaya and 2 weeks of all inclusive!

4 women included and booze. After all the first recorded use of alcohol emerged in the ME and the word "alcohol" is of Arabic origin.
The few lucky ones will be able to rent a whole haram.

. But seriously bro, this is what I see in my place. The people who involved in tourism industry must be trained or else the tourist would dismay at their treatment. And that is if you want the people to get maximum benefit from tourism to offset the alteration on the culture due to tourism.

 

[al-Hasani]

@Wahhab2701

Sorry, for my latest comment 7abibi. I was obviously just joking after watching a few comedians in action, LOL. Just writing it before the trolls enter the scene.

Yes, there will be people who will be trained for this purpose. You should not worry about the new generation. KSA has one of the youngest populations. Especially if the tourism sector will be focused on Muslims. So no problem there.

We already live among non-locals everywhere so that is neither a problem.

 

[FaujHistorian]

....Especially if the tourism sector will be focused on Muslims.

Best tourism industry has to "secular" or at least "inclusive" instead of "Muslim".

What you say was applicable in medieval times not today.


Red Sea can become perhaps the top destination and source of HUGE opportunities for snorkeling and scuba diving.

That area beats pretty much the whole world.

 

[al-Hasani]

Best tourism industry has to "secular" or at least "inclusive" instead of "Muslim".

What you say was applicable in medieval times not today.

Excuse me? Saudi Arabia is already the 16th most visited country in the world despite having the most harsh visa rules next after North Korea. Nearly. Riyadh was the 19th most visited city last year according to Forbes.

When I say Muslim I am mostly referring to tourism of a Muslim background who are the ones who will probably first "discover" KSA and start coming as tourists. Later that industry will be expanded to everybody else. Thats' how it works. A real tourism sector takes time to develop.

 

[FaujHistorian]

Excuse me? Saudi Arabia is already the 16th most visited country in the world despite having the most harsh visa rules next after North Korea. Nearly. Riyadh was the 19th most visited city last year according to Forbes.

When I say Muslim I am mostly referring to tourism of a Muslim background who are the ones who will probably first "discover" KSA and start coming as tourists. Later that industry will be expanded to everybody else. Thats' how it works. A real tourism sector takes time to develop.

Not sure why you became defensive.

people who come to KSA are not really tourists outside MJM (Makkah, Jeddha, Madina)

Remember trourism means people coming in purely to spend their hard earned money

not the other way around.

Even though Muslims would love to explore KSA

but the industry will not develop if focused on religion outside MJM


My 2-cents


Mutawwa and tourism are mutually exclusive generally speaking

 

[Wahhab2701]

@Wahhab2701

Sorry, for my latest comment 7abibi. I was obviously just joking after watching a few comedians in action, LOL. Just writing it before the trolls enter the scene.

Yes, there will be people who will be trained for this purpose. You should not worry about the new generation. KSA has one of the youngest populations. Especially if the tourism sector will be focused on Muslims. So no problem there.

We already live among non-locals everywhere so that is neither a problem.

You should put the news on the tourism education centre in this thread as well since they are part of the tourism infrastructure. Having lack of infrastructure such as road and hotels does not mean end of the tourism. As I can see in my place here tourist flocking from all over the world despite of lack of infrastructure. Our tourism experts managed to invite different kind of tourists, the backpackers!! Indeed they spend much less money but that is okay as long as we have their publication. While we are striving to provide the better hotels and other tourists infrastructure those backpackers will tell their stories to the world. By the time the infrastructures ready more quality tourist will come to our place and spend more money.

 

[al-Hasani]

Not sure why you became defensive.

people who come to KSA are not really tourists outside MJM (Makkah, Jeddha, Madina)

Remember trourism means people coming in purely to spend their hard earned money

not the other way around.

Even though Muslims would love to explore KSA

but the industry will not develop if focused on religion outside MJM


My 2-cents


Mutawwa and tourism are mutually exclusive generally speaking

I am not defensive at all. You just made me sound like a person that was against non-Muslism visiting KSA which is just wrong. At least I got the impression of that. I value you and others contribution in this thread.

The tourism sector of KSA is very low, aside from a few Red Sea resorts that are frequented by a few thousand Western tourists and others etc.

There is a immense potential though and I would firstly start with attracting Muslim tourists to all corners of KSA whether it is the tropical areas in the southern provinces, the mountainous regions of Hijaz and the southern provinces, the nearly 3000 km long coastlines, especially the beautiful Red Sea, some of the 1300 Saudi Arabian islands, the beautiful volcanic, rocky or sandy deserts, the steppe areas, the thousands of oasis, historical villages and towns, the ancient ones, the modern cities, all the Islamic heritage sites, volcanic areas etc. But this will take time and that's fine. Baby steps are needed to be taken. Making more national parks, making resorts in the wild nature etc.

The important thing is to showcase the beauty that my first post in this thread illustrates. Totally unknown for many.

 

[FaujHistorian]

You should put the news on the tourism education centre in this thread as well since they are part of the tourism infrastructure. Having lack of infrastructure such as road and hotels does not mean end of the tourism. As I can see in my place here tourist flocking from all over the world despite of lack of infrastructure. Our tourism experts managed to invite different kind of tourists, the backpackers!! Indeed they spend much less money but that is okay as long as we have their publication. While we are striving to provide the better hotels and other tourists infrastructure those backpackers will tell their stories to the world. By the time the infrastructures ready more quality tourist will come to our place and spend more money.

Indonesia tourism industry (and society in general) has been secular for a long long long time,

That is the condition #1.

secularism, easy going, relatively open society.

If I am not mistaken, this has been the case as far back as Dutch times

 

[al-Hasani]

@Wahhab2701

I will surely do so. Can you invite me to the Indonesian section of this forum? I just saw a documentary about the Komodo Dragon today and it was a scary thing, LOL. Do you happen to live close to that island?

 

[Wahhab2701]

Best tourism industry has to "secular" or at least "inclusive" instead of "Muslim".

What you say was applicable in medieval times not today.


Red Sea can become perhaps the top destination and source of HUGE opportunities for snorkeling and scuba diving.

That area beats pretty much the whole world.

Even if KSA focusing in moslem tourist the market is VERY VERY huge. With 1.6 billion moslem who automatically have kind of connection to the Hejaz (part of KSA) the prospect is endless. Recently I heard the rumour that KSA will limit umrah pilgrim visa to Indonesian to 500k only while in a year we have much more people enlist for umrah. I hope that rumour is not true because it will be another blow for us after hajj visa limitation.