Tourist visas to be introduced in KSA

[al-Hasani]

Since it is fitting for this thread I have to repost and highly recommend this excellent 28 minute long documentary about the ancient civilizations of KSA that predated Islam with thousands of years and the region's close ties to other nearby ancient Semitic civilizations in Egypt, Iraq, Yemen, Levant etc. and those even further away.

Once again all those many historical sites and many archaeological sites that are found or closed off for now will be prime tourist attractions in the future so giving them an exposure like it has happened with the very successful and big worldwide "Roads of Arabia" exhibition is extremely pleasing. I also highly value and support the recent active goal of "celebrating" our ancient pre-Islamic past and not as otherwise previously completely shun/ignore it. Basically it shows what we always knew. That Arabia was a major crossroad connecting 3 continents and the main sea routes of the ancient world. Let alone being located in the ancient ME. From way before the ancient and nearly 3000 year old Incense Route.

Incense Route - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

But let me stress that KSA is basically unknown territory in terms of archeology which is a completely new phenomenon. Barely anything of the country has been excavated and this is a continuous process that is growing rapidly as more international/domestic archeological teams are allowed into the country to operate. Which the last video deals with.

Speaking about the "Roads of Arabia" exhibition.

The last video is especially interesting:

Some of the artifacts in those videos are over 5000 years old.

But the overall documentary posted in post number 1 is the most interesting.

Speaking about ancient artifacts then this is highly encouraging and joyous news.

19.000 Saudi Arabian artifacts retrieved from abroad
​

RIYADH: ARAB NEWS

Published — Tuesday 11 February 2014

Last update 11 February 2014 4:18 am

Saudi Arabia has retrieved from abroad some 19,000 artifacts and historical items reported stolen or missing, said Prince Sultan bin Salman, president of the Saudi Commission of Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA).
The commission is looking for some other stolen antiquities and is in touch with Interpol and the Ministry of Interior to bring them home, Prince Sultan told Sabq e-newsletter.
Interestingly, some of the missing items were found with those who were living in the Kingdom and worked with Saudi Aramco or other companies, he said.
Referring to the importance of Islamic sites, he said the SCTA has set up an advisory committee consisting of key Islamic scholars to care for important sites such as Jabel Al-Nour and Jabel Uhud. The program works under the umbrella of the King Abdullah Project for the Preservation of Heritage, he said.
Regarding the expansion works in the two holy cities of Makkah and Madinah and their impact on archaeological and historical sites, the SCTA chief said the government of the custodian of the Two Holy Mosques is keen to protect such sites as they are part of Islamic history. King Abdullah is not only supportive of such a drive but takes personal interest in reports related to archaeological sites submitted by governorates and municipalities, he said.
He said the SCTA and the Ministry of Islamic Affairs had signed a deal to care for the historical mosques. In this context, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has developed two historical mosques in Jeddah at his own expense whereas many sites are undergoing renovation, he said.
The prince said that besides government initiatives, citizens must also play a prominent role in protecting archaeological sites.

Thousands of artifacts retrieved from abroad | Arab News — Saudi Arabia News, Middle East News, Opinion, Economy and more.

Great news. No need for the West to have all those artifacts belonging to KSA and other Arab and Middle Eastern countries.

 

[jandk]

Travel to a country that treats migrant labour like slaves and practices institutionalized racism? No thanks.

 

[al-Hasani]

Travel to a country that treats migrant labour like slaves and practices institutionalized racism? No thanks.

Nobody cares about your opinion. Probably a crying Indian. Then tell your 2 million + citizens not to live in KSA or nearly fight to get into KSA by all means. You are basically ready to kill each other to reach KSA or other GCC states.

KSA will have no problems of opening the arms to millions of other tourists be it religious tourists or not. KSA is already among the top 15 most visited countries of the world. Once a real tourism sector is created then expect a place in the top 10. The potential is enormous.

 

[jandk]

Nobody cares about your opinion. Probably a crying Indian. Then tell your 2 million + citizens not to live in KSA or nearly fight to get into KSA by all means. You are basically ready to kill each other to reach KSA or other GCC states.

KSA will have no problems of opening the arms to millions other tourists be it religious tourists or not. KSA is already among the top 15 most visited countries of the world. Once a real tourism sector is created then expect a top 10 place. The potential is enormous anyway.

Instead of jingoism, can you at least admit that a problem exists with respect to the treatment of migrant labourers in your country? Anyone with a conscience would object to it; you don't need to be Indian.
Poor people from India and other countries are misguided and misled into becoming modern day slaves. If they knew the ground realities, they would not come anymore.

 

[al-Hasani]

Instead of jingoism, can you at least admit that a problem exists with respect to the treatment of migrant labourers in your country? Anyone with a conscience would object to it; you don't need to be Indian.
Poor people from India and other countries are misguided and misled into becoming modern day slaves. If they knew the ground realities, they would not come anymore.

No. Why don't you discuss this on the Indian section? I am sure that you can cry there with many others. We do not care about your false accusations. You have no clue about the ground realities anyway. I have nothing to apologize for to anybody. Don't derail this thread which has nothing to do with your nonsense.

Worry about feeding the highest number of poor people in the world that happen to be Indians and free your modern day slaves in India that you Indians yourself enslave before lecturing and writing nonsense. Abolish your highly discriminatory and primitive caste system as well while you are at it. Nobody cares about India in this thread.

Ignorance is annoying. When you get basic knowledge of what you are blabbering about I can take this discussion with you or other ignorants. Until then don't pollute/derail/hijack my thread which has nothing to do with this.

@Aeronaut

Can you please delete this discussion or move it. I don't want this excellent thread to get destroyed by obvious trolls/users that intent to hijack this thread.

Thank you.

 

[jandk]

No. Why don't you discuss this on the Indian section? I am sure that you can cry there with many others. We do not care about your false accusations. You have no clue about the ground realities anyway. I have nothing to apologize for to anybody. Don't derail this thread which has nothing to do with your nonsense.

Worry about feeding the highest number of poor people and free your modern day slaves in India that you Indians yourself enslave before lecturing and writing nonsense. Abolish your highly discriminatory and primitive caste system as well while you are at it. Nobody cares about India in this thread.

@Aeronaut

Can you please delete this discussion or move it. I don't want this excellent thread to get destroyed by obvious trolls/users that intent to hijack this thread.

Thank you.

You are utterly and completely incorrigible - a typical arab.

 

[Chinese-Dragon]

Instead of jingoism, can you at least admit that a problem exists with respect to the treatment of migrant labourers in your country? Anyone with a conscience would object to it; you don't need to be Indian.
Poor people from India and other countries are misguided and misled into becoming modern day slaves. If they knew the ground realities, they would not come anymore.

If Indians don't like it there, then they shouldn't go.

They go because they want the money. Some of them are tricked by their fellow Indians, and the money is basically stolen by the Indian middleman while the worker gets nothing. I'm sure the KSA will crack down on such Indian middlemen/fraudsters when they catch them.

Same thing happens to Filipino maids here in Hong Kong. Their own Filipino countrymen trick them, and steal their money, what can we do if their own people back home play such tricks?

Looks like a very nice place to visit

Yes, it really looks stunning.

faifa 2011 by al_gasemy, on Flickr

Can someone tell me what this place is?

It almost looks like a rice paddy field in China, but without the rice. Really beautiful.

 

[al-Hasani]

You are utterly and completely incorrigible - a typical arab.

Why don't you feed your millions of poor people - the highest number in the world? Why don't you free the highest number of enslaved people in the world - your fellow Indians once again? Why don't you abolish your highly discriminatory and primitive caste system? Why don't you deal with your rampant rapes? Why don't you deal with your inferiority complexes? White bleaching cream anybody? Why don't you learn your citizens not to be racist against Blacks? Why don't you learn your fellow "Northern Indians" to not discriminate against the Southern Indians?

In short why don't you get lost? Nobody cares about a ignoramuses opinion. I could not care less about you or what you are blabbering about nor India in this thread.

 

[SHAMK9]

I will visit when the kingdom tower is topped out. Cool country

 

[jandk]

If Indians don't like it there, then they shouldn't go.

They go because they want the money. Some of them are tricked by their fellow Indians, and the money is basically stolen by the Indian middleman while the worker gets nothing. I'm sure the KSA will crack down on such Indian middlemen/fraudsters when they catch them.

Same thing happens to Filipino maids here in Hong Kong. Their own Filipino countrymen trick them, and steal their money, what can we do if their own people back home play such tricks?



Yes, it really looks stunning.



Can someone tell me what this place is?

It almost looks like a rice paddy field in China, but without the rice. Really beautiful.

Why don't you feed your millions of poor people - the highest of the world? Why don't you free the highest number of enslaved people in the world - your fellow Indians once again? Why don't you abolish your highly discriminatory and primitive caste system? Why don't you deal with your rampant rapes? Why don't you deal with your inferiority complexes? White bleaching cream anybody? Why don't you learn your citizens not to be racist against Blacks? Why don't you learn your fellow "Northern Indians" to not discriminate against the Southern Indians?

In short why don't you get lost? Nobody cares about a ignoramuses opinion. I could not care less about you or what you are blabbering about nor India in this thread.

Whatever, this forum isn't exactly conducive to rational discussion or debate. Go on with your jingoism. I'm out.

 

[al-Hasani]

Whatever, this forum isn't exactly conducive to rational discussion or debate. Go on with your jingoism. I'm out.

Great now shut the door after you and remove the garbage that you left. Don't cry since your incredible hypocrisy on the issues that you raised was more than fittingly returned 1000 times over by me. Hence the silent reply. Try to have a civil discussion next time and learn some manners. Don't expect nice replies when you start throwing garbage around. Until then please keep out indeed.

Lastly you would wish to have as few problems as KSA. Problems that by large can be fixed in a relatively short period of time.

@Chinese-Dragon

Ignore my posts to that troll/individual. He clearly has some problems. Nobody cares though.

That's some of the landscapes of the Southern provinces of KSA. More precisely the Faifa mountains of Jazan province.

KSA does not have a big rice production compared to China etc. and the one that exists is mainly found in the Eastern Province.

@Aeronaut could you please delete the latest off-topic posts? I have nothing against India or Indians but that troll started it and asked for it. Seen him do it before where I did not answer.

 

[al-Hasani]

Half a million visit Janadriyah

SOARING POPULARITY: Residents and foreign tourists visit the Janadriyah Heritage and Culture Festival on Thursday. Seven tourist companies have been organizing daily bus trips for people in the Kingdom and neighboring Kuwait to visit the festival. (SPA)​

RIYADH: KHALED TAWALBEH/ YUSUF MUHAMMAD

Published — Friday 21 February 2014

Last update 21 February 2014 1:03 am​

A total of 500,000 people have visited the Janadriyah festival here since it started last week, a senior official said Thursday.
Maj. Gen. Abdul Rahman bin Abdullah Al-Zamil, commander of the security unit guarding the site, said the figure included male and female visitors. The 29th Janadriyah festival started last Wednesday.
Al-Zamil said there has been a festive atmosphere at the event with no reports of criminal activity or injuries.
The festival, which began in 1985, showcases the customs, traditions, crafts, arts, moral values and ethics of the Kingdom and the Arabian Peninsula.
Leaders of the Kingdom and other countries, writers, artists and scientists visit and participate in the festival. The activities include poetry readings, concerts, singing, exhibitions of books and documents, folk dances, decorative arts, painting, theater, and photography.
There is a particular emphasis on women's activities this year including arts and crafts.
All women including families of expatriates are allowed to visit the festival until Feb. 28 between 3:30 p.m. and midnight. The festival is open to visitors from 3:30 p.m. to midnight week days, and from 3:30 p.m. until 2 a.m. on weekends.
More than 100,000 people have so far visited the Madinah pavilion at the festival, not surprising since it stirs up nostalgia among visitors who walk down the memory lane and relive the lifestyles of an earlier era.
Going hand-in-hand with the display of cultural heritage is the development achieved in the province in the modern era under the guidance of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah.
''Directives of Madinah Gov. Prince Faisal bin Salman stressed the need to focus on the cultural heritage of the city and the province while participating in the national heritage festival,'' general supervisor of the province's delegation to the festival Muhammad Al-Noman told Arab News, adding that the program also includes items of various governorates in the province.
The participating governorates are Yanbu, Al-Ula and Khaybar. The Culture and Arts Society of the province is also a major participant in the event. Visitors are impressed by the handicrafts and special dishes of the province, he said.
Women members of the Madinah team present special programs for families with particular stress on ancient heritage activities and history of the province.
Websites of the Madinah house have also been launched on various social media networks, he said.

Half a million visit Janadriyah | Arab News — Saudi Arabia News, Middle East News, Opinion, Economy and more.​

Yanbu flowerbed set to be world’s largest​

JEDDAH: MD AL-SULAMI

Published — Thursday 20 February 2014

Last update 19 February 2014 11:53 pm

The Saudi city of Yanbu is getting ready to break a world record for the largest floral carpet in the world.
Yousif Al-Hijaili, chairman of the organizing committees for the Seventh Flowers & Gardens Festival in Yanbu, said the festival would kick off on Feb. 24 and last until March 8.
The carpet, located along the Red Sea coastline, will boast more than two million flowers that will cover an astonishing area of 7,000 square meters.
He said the festival would exhibit natural and seasonal flowers and would provide gardening and agricultural tips.
Al-Hijaili said the number of visitors to the festival is increasing year after year thanks to new ideas and plans that are being constantly implemented by the festival’s organizers.

Yanbu flowerbed set to be world’s largest | Arab News — Saudi Arabia News, Middle East News, Opinion, Economy and more.

 

[BATMAN]

Pakistanis would have another Dubai.

 

[al-Hasani]

Saudi Arabia to inject US$30.9 bn in tourism over next decade

Number of tourist touch 21.3m in 2013​

Religious tourism in the forefront for Saudi Arabia
​

Tourism is being ranked a top priority for Saudi tourism officials. The Saudi government is investing heavily in its tourism sector, principally to provide employment opportunities for Saudi graduates.

According to a 2013 MENA tourism and hospitality report by research consultancy aranca, investment in the travel and tourism sector is expected to increase at a CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) of four percent to SAR 30.9 billion over a 10-year period from 2013-23.

The number of tourists visiting KSA is estimated to increase at a CAGR of two percent to 21.3 million over the period 2013 – 23. Revenues will total SAR 60.9 bn by 2023 – due to an increase in number of Hajj and Umrah tourists and growth of international shopping centres.

To cope with the increasing number of visitors, the Saudi government has outlined a plan to invest more than US$30 bn in its airports by 2020, including US$ 10 bn in private investment for the sector. More than US$ 12.5 bn has already been earmarked for the country’s four main international airports in Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam and Madinah.
Based on the expected growth of the region, the annual Arabian Travel Market (ATM) roadshow took off in Riyadh to deliver a presentation at the offices of the Saudi Commission for Tourism & Antiquities.

“The travel and tourism sector’s direct contribution to Saudi Arabian GDP is projected to increase at a CAGR of four percent to SAR83.7 bn by 2023. Put that into perspective, it is equivalent to about nine percent of current Saudi GDP, which is a great achievement. This is solely as the Kingdom looks to diversify its economy away from hydrocarbon receipts,” said Mark Walsh, portfolio director, Reed Travel Exhibitions.
Riyadh is the final leg of the six Middle East destinations being visited by the ATM team during its roadshow which took in Bahrain, Kuwait, Beirut, Muscat and Dubai. A strong delegation from the Kingdom is expected at ATM. Led by the Saudi Commission for Tourism & Antiquities it includes, Saudia Airline, Umrah & Makarim Hospitality Group, Fursan Travel & Leisure, Hanco Rent a Car, EbreezTech, Rahhal International, and Unique Choice.

Saudi to inject US$30.9 bn in tourism over next decade | Travel Daily ME

 

[Yzd Khalifa]

Pakistanis would have another Dubai.

You guys are always welcome.