Yes, Jeddah is obviously not comparable to Dubai. Maybe in 20 years time it will be. The potential is big at least but it is difficult to predict the future on issues like this.
Yes, I have made 2 threads that deals with the tourism sector since KSA, at least in my humble opinion, has a very big potential of tourism by virtue of its size, diversity, weather and attractions. This issue is a bit complicated though.
Tourist visas to be introduced in KSA
https://defence.pk/threads/‘poor-tourism-infrastructure-obstacle-to-tourism-in-ksa-for-now’.291474/
I touch on this issue in the last thread especially.
Yes, KSA is a very big country and there are many ancient and charming villages and small towns that not many people inside KSA even know about. At least I have discovered that in my travels across the country although I am of course yet to even visit all provinces. Far from it.
If Yemen was a stable country then that would be a huge tourism attraction on a world scale IMO.
You should also visit nearby Oman. Very beautiful country. Nearby Jordan as well. Both safe countries.
Yes, there is a lot of potential, but in all honesty, a lot of effort & development needs to take place in order to tap in to that potential. There are great places for tourists to visit in KSA. However, when sightseeing or cruising through regions far from urban populations, it's important to develop an infrastructure that supports tourists on a large scale. That includes the regular restaurants, but it also requires setting up medical facilities in case of emergencies, & developing the infrastructure to provide those facilities.
Saudi Arabia has the resources to do all that, except it's going to take time. Yeah, I read about the introduction of tourist visas some time back, & I agree that it's a good decision, but it should have been done earlier. Yeah, even I haven't visited every province in my own country, & I hope I get to explore my own country in the future as well. I wouldn't mind checking out the ruins of the Nabataean civilization in Jordan, especially Petra's rock-cut architectural remains.
No, all that is only reserved for some people, LOL.
Lol! I was joking. I have never drank alcohol so I didn't get drunk obviously, but the belly dancer's performance was enjoyed by both young & old people including families. There is no perversion in the performance & even families that brought their kids had fun & did not have any complaints whatsoever. It was just a part of the tour, & most definitely wasn't reserved for some people. Even some couples among the tourists danced & enjoyed themselves later on during the party. Of course, it's against the societal & religious norms of KSA though. That being said even things like moderate drinking, dancing, or partying are a part of tourism, especially when it comes to younger couples or in some cases even newly married couples on their honeymoon. A country might attract tourists for sightseeing, but it will lose out when the customer wants let's say both sight seeing & entertainment.
That's just a part of business. At this point KSA would only be able to focus on certain demographics & segments of the tourism market such as those that only desire sight seeing for instance before moving on to other factors like improving the nightlife for visitors & residents. That would be a bit of an issue in conservative societies, but UAE has managed to reach an acceptable balance for their society. Islamic values & norms should be honored in an Islamic society, but that doesn't necessarily require imposing Islamic restrictions on non-Muslims for instance. I think you would have understood the point I tried to make from a business perspective. Moral degeneracy obviously isn't desirable & societies in the past have been ruined due to their loss of moral values.
Don't think there are many people in the Rub' al-Khali though aside from a few wandering Bedouins if anything and herders. But I am sure that you will be able to piss them of if you kill their Arabian horse, camel, goats, sheep or whatever they have.
In all seriousness then I have always wanted to visit the Rub' al-Khali for real. Never really did that. It is unlike any other desert area in KSA. Not as scenic in my opinion but still amazing.
Anyway I think that we are a bit off-topic but I wish you and your family a Happy New Year and the rest of the bunch here again. I need to study a little bit before the exam tomorrow.
Lol! You could kill one of their animals & just for the sake of it, kill another one while making your escape.
Although, I guess you could run in to a few legal issues after doing that.
Seriously though, I am actually preparing to go back to university so tourism isn't much of an interest for me at the moment. Anyway, Happy New Year to you & your family as well. Good luck with your exam.