What kind of excuses would you have to make up for yourself before going to a place like that?
29
I’m curious to know what would happen if a tourist doesn’t strictly follow the required rules of conduct. Will they get a private tour of Saudi Arabia’s prison system? Besides that, I have no desire to help legitimize such a repressive and brutal government.
31
Well, lots of luck! I spent a week in Jeddah about 5 years ago (for professional reasons). It was horrible
-- giving lecture where "the girls" weren't allowed in the building and had to attend by television;
-- a "hotel", more like a prison. You could go out, only to be faced by blocks and blocks of huge buildings, all extremely forbidding, on streets full of rubble and no people except a few foreign construction workers.
-- There was a highway separating the hotel from the red sea. You took your life in your hands when crossing it; no cross-walks for over a mile either way. But when you got there, you were reminded that Jeddah is a city of 4 million, with no sewage treatment.
I have been a lot of places, but Saudi Arabia was the worst.
38
If you have any evidence of having visited Israel you will be denied a visa.
No Israeli citizens are permitted entry according to their rules.
You must state your religion if applying for a visa.
If you write Jewish or none you can and often will be denied a visa.
Happy New Year. 5780
29
As someone who was born and raised in Saudi Arabia, the people are wonderful, kind, and generous. However, the government is one of the most repressive theocratic dictatorship on earth. I have been to China and the Soviet Union (before the fall of communism) and neither of these two countries come close to the oppression found in Saudi Arabia. If MBS (who is nothing but an ignorant murderous ruler) and Saudi Arabia want to people to visit, then clean up your act and respect and protect human rights for everyone in the country (and stop stealing the wealth of the country to buy palaces, yachts, etc., for the members of the royal family) . Of course, this would mean the end of the house of Saud and the royal family as we know it!
36
I'll stick to holidaying in the UK.
14
Strangely, many of these comments are similar to what my mother told me back in the 70’s when I said I was going do a bicycle trip thru the Deep South.
12
Ha ha ha ha. No. I like to travel but no, I won't consider Saudi Arabia.
12
This is a country that sentences children to death and performs executions through beheadings and crucifixions. Americans should be prohibited from visiting this country.
35
No one is going to go there without availability of alcohol - never mind the repressive environment. Their tourism infrastructure is not so well developed beyond the major cities (i.e., no way to explore the desert), where the only thing to do is shopping. Plus non-Muslims are not allowed into Mecca and Medina. Better off going to Dubai, which is equally repressive and racist to boot, but at least there is some cultural diversity and fine dining. And booze.
11
Dear Saudi Arabia
If you plan on issuing bias for tourist travel maybe first stop killing journalists who challenge the crown, maybe first change your antiquated laws to not oppress women, maybe not stone or drown them in your swimming pools because a woman dishonored her family.
Maybe try not abusing the foreign workers you host there. If I had money to blow on a vacation I would never consider Saudi Arabia until you join the 21st century.
24
I'm interested, even though it is a repressive country. Been in a strict Moslem country during Ramadan already, so it wojn't be too strange for me.
I'm sure the commentariat will protest about everything and downvote me. Diversity, including in opinions, is good.
2
@ricardoRI yes, diversity is good. My standard for choosing countries to visit is what their approach is to the rule of law, especially for women, and my ability to move around freely and safely as a visitor. I believe Saudi Arabia has a long way to go before many women would choose to visit.
12
@ricardoRI
ricardo
Please let us know if you get home safe. We'll be worried for you.
7
I'm sure that the exceptional natural beauty would be dwarfed by the lack of human rights and the opression of women. No Thanks
14
When the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia renounces Wahhabism (its repressive strain of Islam), treats its citizens and guest workers equally, ceases its funding of extremist religious schools in the Middle East, South and South East Asia, renounces its aggressive war in Yemen, allows non-Muslims to enter Medina and Mecca, and stops beheading people as capital punishment...allows women to wear whatever they choose without retribution, and allows freedom of expression, tourism will never take hold in any meaningful way.
17
I wonder why I don't feel too excited about touring this place, when MBS is in charge... Is it dismembering a journalist who criticized MSB? Is it that they whip people if they're not praying during prayer time? is it that they oppress women? Is it because they're the number one sponsor of terrorists and Islamic extremists around the globe? Or is it because they are killing thousands of people in Yemen and other countries?
Not sure....
21
Yes, if you're a woman, bring your abaya and sheila (headscarf) and don't go alone. No matter what MKS says, the population includes a lot of self-appointed morality police. Also be prepared to be fondled. Young men are particularly attracted to obviously Caucasian and Asian pregnant women.
12
If you are considering going remember these two words ... Yemen, Kashogshi. A regime responsible for these crimes should not be supported with tourism dollars.
25
Saudi has to get more money in because oil is a declining revenue source for all petro-economies. The overweening influence of religion means that there is no spontaneous or creative spirit that creates progress in their society. There are almost no Saudi engineers, because the overweening influence of religion stilts the minds of the populace.
Of course there will be takers for its carefully manufactured charms. There are, sadly, ignorant Jews I know who vacation in Turkey and Greece, blithely ignorant of the hatred their hosts' societies have for them.
I have never visited a country where there is no democracy, or religion controls the day-to-day life of its people (same thing, really.) Saudi is just another one on my list of these places.
10
Well, as an atheist I’d better be careful since it’s defined as terrorism.
I’m not entirely sure I want to even visit a country that executes people for leaving Islam, either.
But that’s silly ole me...
19
So, who wants to go to Saudi Arabia?
Is that a serious question or a joke lede?
TL/DR (Too long, didn't read) Here's the summary. Anyone who a) is obligated to do so by a 7th-century religion or b) enjoys obliterating themselves in sacks and wraps or enjoys the view of (maybe, who knows) women in sacks and wraps, with the added frisson of whipping, beheading, and the dismemberment of journalists (or anyone else who annoys the Prince). Truly a terrific vacation destination.
10
Jews are not allowed to visit. An Israeli visa stamp on your passport disqualifies you. Women must cover up so that men do not lose control of their senses. Saudi Arabia is repressive and despicable. I will save my tourist dollars until they have a new government and better attitudes (likely never).
19
I wonder if they'll life their ban on people who've visited Israel, particularly since they can't confirm whether anyone's visited Israel anyway since the Israelis stopped stamping passports years ago - plus, they may inadvertently ban many of their citizens who come to Israel to visit al-Asqa and receive medical treatment.
4
Pass ...
Between their repressive regime, human rights abuses, (lgbt and women among others) no alcohol, covering up women and their support of terror, think I would rather go to North Korea on a holiday, at least they have booze
8
What a wonderful idea! After your visit to Saudi Arabia, you could pop on over to Afghanistan’s Khyber Pass or Pakistan’s Swat Valley.
Or you could save yourself the trouble and just donate to Al Qaeda directly.
15
That knocks North Korea off the bucket list.
10
"So, who wants to go to Saudi Arabia"?
Not me.
7
Why would I want to go on vacation somewhere I can't drink?
8
No, thank you.
5
The fisrt sentence of this paper says it all: "who wants to go to Saudi Arabia?" And I would add, to which purpose?
6
Does that include Jewish tourists as well?
8
@Macbloom
Jews and atheists or those who fill in the religion question with none are not welcome.
Happy new year. 5780
7
Hard pass.
8
I will travel to Saudi Arabia after they renounce Wahhabism.
6
Ha! This is rich...
Keep your visas. I do not need to fly halfway around the world to risk being put in a meat grinder...
But thanks!
13
Oooh! I can't wait to visit a country where the government beheads people with swords in a major public square and then hangs their decapitated bodies outside for all to see. A country ruled by a gang of male princes who order their political rivals assassinated inside embassies, bodies chopped up with bone saws and never seen again. A country where women are owned by their husbands.
It'll be like traveling back to the 13th century. Golly, I hope the hotel has a pool!
16
“It’ll be like going back to the 13th century!”
You don’t know how true that is... Then again haven’t you ever wondered what life was like back in the 13th century? Now you can find out!
6
No thanks.
3
No.
4
What?!
As a white woman with blonde curls I can now go and visit Saudi Arabia?
How fun!
Then I can go and view....
1) ...women forced to look like giant black penguins in their head to foot burquas, their desperate eyes looking out at me through SLITS of fabric.
2)... the JAIL where Saudi Arabian women who started the movement so women could drive are now being raped and tortured.
3) ...Jamal Khashoggi's home. He must have been happy there before it was ordered that he be CHOPPED UP with a bone saw.
4) ...Saudi Arabian men, notoriously wealthy and spoiled, who do not REALLY have to work as they get monthly checks from the government to not show up at their "jobs." They would harass/attack me because I am not wrapped up tight in a black penguin suit being subservient to them.
6)...maybe I, too, can view the inside of a jail cell! We are not allowed to talk politics or social issues there, so the Kingdom may find what I say about a country that so thoroughly oppresses women, that is medieval and dangerous, offensive.
7) ...I could read a newspaper that is ENTIRELY controlled by the Kingdom, as are TV and news shows and books, as freedom of religion, speech, and press is ENTIRELY forbidden.
No. I will not to go Saudi Arabia and support the regime that supported the madrasses that had small boys growing up on hatred for America and then those boys became men who piloted planes into our buildings and burned up my fellow Americans.
It's the lipstick/pig thing.
39
Nuts. Thats what you would have to be to go there.
6
I'd rather survive on a diet of Big Macs than visit Saudi Arabia, a country where gays are targeted, where women are marginalized, where violence and terrorism are supported, where elections are a joke, and where murder is a state supported political tool.
8
I imagine Jews aren't welcome.
8
I am not a big environmentalist but giving my tourist dollars to a regime that is the main cause of runaway climate change is where I draw a line.
8
I am sure that Saudi Arabia is a gorgeous country with a rich history, but I simply can't imagine myself going there as long as its government pursues retrograde policies on matters dear to me (human rights, religious freedom, women's rights, the environment). I don't want to encourage that behavior with my money. My dream vacation to Saudi Arabia (and to Russia, China, and a few others) will have to wait.
7
"There are strict rules governing social conduct, little tolerance for dissent, allegations of human rights abuses abound"
Allegations? No they are not allegations. There are plenty of human right abuses in SA. Don't sugarcoat for them.
Tourism could gradually make them less repressive though.
1
So if I'm a tourist, I still can't get a beer after a hot day of walking around an antiquity. (By the way, the Holy Koran does not prohibit drinking alcohol, but it does warn about moderation to preserve the spiritual life). And I don't have the freedom to discuss social issues with any Saudi who cares to enquire about what western people think without fear of being thrown in the slammer.
I understand covering the body to protect against UV light from the sun and sand storms, but what I have to wear and when is quite another matter.
Saudi Arabia as a non-Arab tourist sounds like disaster to me. Kind of like visiting North Korea as a tourist. ("Step out of line and the man comes. and takes you away").
9
"aims to become one of the top five tourism destinations in the world"
They will not even be in the top 20 for tourism. They get a lot of pilgrims from all over the world but they just don't have things set up for tourism. I don't mean the restrictions, I mean they don't have any tourism infrastructure that I have heard of.
Nothing wrong will trying to get things started though. Many of the sites of interest in the desert required permission to get access. Not very welcoming. Maybe that's changing.
3
A few years ago, I did a technology consulting gig in Saudi. I have two anecdotes, which, I think may illuminate the atmosphere. First anecdote: I was sitting in a hotel restaurant when I felt something brush the bad of my chair. I turned to see that a woman’s abaya had lightly touched me. Her husband, I believe, was looking at me as if he was ready to beat me. And he continued fiercely staring at me as they walked away. Second anecdote: on a bus in the Riyadh airport, I accidentally sat in a seat reserved for women and the elderly. A man got in my face and started yelling at me in Arabic for what seemed like an eternity. I looked at him completely befuddled. Only when I got off the bus, did I figure out the sign I missed. I worked in 20 countries in the last ten years of my career, and, struck up conversations on trains, buses, taxis, restaurants, museums, and walking tours, etc. Saudi Arabia was the least friendly place by a wide margin. You really couldn’t talk to anyone.
10
Not the LAST place I'd want to visit, but close to the top.
4
For those who have wished for a means to do time travel, here’s a practical alternative, go to Saudi Arabia and relive the Middle Ages !
7
The first stop I will make is to Khashoggi Bone Saw Museum.
16
On the plus side Saudi Arabia has huge potential for tourism including (for example) water sports and diving in the Red Sea.
On the negative it is the singularly most joyless place I've ever had the misfortune to visit.
It starts with the ordeal of getting into the country - queuing for hours in front of grim faced officials at immigration. Then when you are out of the airport, enjoy being regarded with suspicion by the police everywhere you travel.
Lets be clear here. It is a de facto dictatorship and police state with an appalling human rights record and a long history of persecuting minorities.
Making a few more visas available won't fix that...
8
It is not a dictatorship. A dictatorship implies some kind of politics hat could have some input by anyone. Rather It is a true monarchy. The country is literally owned by one family.
5
I find it interesting that NYT states western tourists may not be interested to visit Saudi Arabia. China has the largest number of outbound tourists. Other Middle Eastern, Asian and African countries will provide more tourists than western countries.
1
I think I'll pass on supporting a repressive monarchy.
6
People who visit countries like this do it at their own peril, as beneath the modern facade lies a brutal and lawless regime. As an example, search the news stories for the nightmares some Dubai visitors had gone through.
If something were to happen to you over there, good luck with expecting the Trump adminstration helping you out.
5
They have a long way to go before I shall visit their country and I believe I'm not the only woman who thinks that way.
6
How could anyone support this repressive regime by spending their tourist dollars there? It's unconscionable.
6
Unless I were a Muslim interested in the Muslim sites within the country, I can't imagine wanting to go there. A non Muslim might be interested in such sites as well but one ignorant move, you could be arrested for some form of blasphemy or worse.
And you better like warm weather.
Next on my bucket list of travels is a trip on the Trans Siberia railroad. That is about as challenging as I am willing to get.
3
"Mecca and the holy city of Medina are currently the biggest draw for foreigners, but non-Muslims have long been prohibited from entering both, a policy that predates the founding of the Saudi state." Probbition from entering Mecca and Medina happened after the Saudi royal family took control of the holy cities and not before. During the Ottoman empire and before non-Muslims were allowed access to both cities with some exceptions for certain places (for example, Nabawi Square in Medina). Several non-Muslim Orientalists visited both cities.
6
Having worked in Saudi for 5 years in the 80's and 90's I can say there is a lot to see, but not much fun to visit a police state. Many things to worry about like if you have an accident while driving it is automatically your fault. Or being near the town square on Friday around noon prayers and getting herded to the beheading and punishment area and forced to watch. I will pass on returning.
9
Going to have to pass on this one. I only visit countries where I have human rights.
6
I’ve been to Saudi and other than the amazing food it was as dismal and repressive as I imagined. The two intersected when at a restaurant that forbid men from dining solo we watched the staff erect a screen around a family so that our lustful eyes would not be able to view a woman removing her veil to eat.
6
I found it interesting the article featured Mada'in Saleh. Yes it is a well preserved ruin of the 1st century but there is a reason. It is in an barren landscape that was mostly abandoned because of a lack of water. It was near the southern border of the Nabatean kingdom and they left it because it was uninhabitable and it still is.
Besides, this ruin is one large rock in the middle of no where. Attract a few tourist there and the word will get out it isn't worth the trip.
Perhaps there are better places to visit in Saudi Arabia. Of all the cities in Saudi Arabia, Jeddah is the most liberal though conservative by Western standards. It has beaches and it is a cosmopolitan city. Jeddah's Al-Balad historic district dates to the 7th century and has traditional homes built from coral. It is an interesting place.
But, if someone has not been in this area, go to Istanbul first. Though the population is 98% Muslim, the people are very accepting of Westerners. Alcohol is available and women do not have to cover their heads, unless entering a Mosque.
I was there this April and took a dinner cruise on the Bosporus. There was entertainment part of it was a belly dancer. When the dance started, women in conservative Muslim attire pulled out their cell phones and videoed it. They were not embarrassed. That would never happen in Saudi Arabia.
6
Sounds interesting but there are two deal breakers:
1) Khashoggi
2) I’m a woman
10
I don't care what there is to see there. Their human rights and women's rights records are atrocious. Honestly, as a woman I would not feel safe there. Women, and men who care about any woman in their lives, should not visit.
5
I just tried to apply for a eVisa to Saudi Arabia to see what it would ask me.
After entering my country (US) and passport type (regular) it said:
"Sorry, you cannot apply for an online visa at this moment. Please contact with the nearest embassy of Saudi Arabia."
Seems like the this is a bit of a pre announcement.
6
“Several of the women’s rights activists who demanded the lifting of the driving ban are still imprisoned, however, and reportedly been tortured.”
Frankly, as a woman, I wouldn’t want to contribute one cent to the Saudi economy or help to improve their image by being “allowed” to walk around modestly dressed while being surrounded by women totally covered in black abayas and particularly while Loujain al-Hathloul is still imprisoned.
5
Memo to Saudi Arabia.
If you want more tourism step out of the Middle Ages.
9
I don't think that my tourist dollars need to go towards supporting a misogynistic government that requires religious obedience by its citizens. It's one country I have no desire to ever visit.
7
I seriously wonder who in their right mind would visit an anachronistic, brutal, medieval outpost that modernity has evaded!
5
The Saudis, a repressive regime, has abused it's power exclusively on the natural gas and oil found under their land, empty of cultural value otherwise. Even their women are belittled, let alone the thousands of serfs hired for the menial tasks at hand. Who would have thought, in the XXI century, we still have places 'living' in the Middle Ages, and where any constructive criticism is brutally extinhuished, either by beheadings if not a Khashoggi style dismemberment (at least as long as assassin Salman remains in power). Don't you think that this ought to be the least desirable place for a tourist to enjoy...it's nature's wonders notwithstanding? To our knowledge, the only transactional truans that could welcome this 'violence' may be the Donald-Jared variety, with self-enrichment is an added bonus.
5
I've visited some extremely repressive countries, but never one that dismembered a visitor to one of its consulates.
6
@Chris
There is no extra charge for this service.
5
The Saudi's are delusional if they think any one with a lick of sense is panting to come see their land.
I always yearned to see the Empty Quarter until I read Robert Lacey's "The Kingdom" and learned that that is where unruly princes were taken there and had sand poured down their throat.
That was decades ago.
Now I would be nervous staying at any hotel: What if they locked it down at Prince Saw Bones request so he could do another shake down?
Well, and then there is the fact that I am a woman.
Sorry! Heading for Iceland!
I have better places to go....
4
They can't be serious if it's tourists from Western cultures they're trying to attract. For example; will Evangelicals, LGBTQ visitors, beer-swilling football teams and busloads of Lubavitchers from Brooklyn be made to feel welcome?
I think this is pure PR to create distraction from the atrocities this nation has foisted on Yemeni's and critics. Saudi Arabia's main attractions include driving through thousands of square miles of desert dotted with derricks and gigantic storage tanks. Oh, and if your lucky enough to be there when someone is being whipped or executed - that'd be a sight you wouldn't forget in a hurry - if you could get a ticket.
The State Dept should issue a travel warning to tourists headed for the Saudi Kingdom. It gets very very hot there and you might want a beer. DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!
5
As a woman, I'll pass.
6
So, who wants to go to Saudi Arabia? Not, me! No matter how many beautiful, historic sites are in Saudi Arabia, I will not spend my tourist money in a country where women are so brutally oppressed.
12
Well, I certainly how there's crowd control practices at the airport for the lines of eager tourists seeking really, really good buys on bone saws.
Wouldn't want anyone to get hurt....
4
I took part in a Smithsonian tour of Saudi Arabia in 1999 and wrote about it in Travel & Leisure in 2000. This month I was invited by a press agent in Bahrain to a "VIP Event" outside of Riyadh today (27 September), which is World Tourism Day. I imagine it was part of the push to renew tourism which this article describes. I declined, with a link to the latest article about the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was killed and dismembered inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul less than a year ago. Any person who believes in journalism today should spend their tourism dollars somewhere else.
8
Sign me up. I've waited my entire life to visit Saudi Arabia, home of some of my mis-spent money on gasoline and oil, home to 'chop-chop block' (ah, the joy of getting splattered by the blood of a local victim accused of disloyalty to the royal family). An absolute treasure trove of malignant barbarism; now lead by a young man with an over sized and rapidly expanding ego and thirst for absolute power.
8
Easing restrictions will provide first-hand experience to foreign visitors to know more about people and the country from where Islam originated without depending upon other sources.
1
@Mohammad Azeemullah
I must have certified kosher food.
How is their pastrami?
One cannot live on hummus alone.
1
yes, let me be the first NOT to apply for a visa to travel to one of the most oppressive regimes in the world. a regime that looked the other way as fundamentalists plotted and carried out 9/11; a regime whose leader sanctioned the dismemberment of one of its citizens; a regime that is in eternal war by proxy over the whole Mideast with its arch rival Iran. The list goes on and on. I am all for exploring and learning exceptional cultures; but count me out as a visitor to Saudi Arabia
16
The Saudis got funding from the World Bank to develop this initiative. I would hope that in future the World Bank would focus on economic development in countries with more poverty and better human rights records than Saudi Arabia. A large number of foreign consultants turned down the opportunity to work on this because they thought it was immoral.
18
Those expats who work in Saudi call it the Magic Kingdom because nothing is as it seems on the surface. The Saudi government is all about presenting a nice cover. You may go to Jeddah or Riyadh and see the tall, shiny buildings, but go a block or so either way and see the run down "real" city, or even slums. However, while working there for 5 years I never, ever felt threatened anywhere I went. walking thru the poorest parts of the city, or in the loneliest outpost in the hinterlands it is very safe. That is their culture...and enforced by a religious/law code that is very harsh. The people are very friendly but you have to get used to separate quarters for male and females at family gatherings. Restaurants have separate sections for male-only and families (where females can sit).
At the same time travel is tough unless in a pre-arranged group. Traveling outside an organized group is fine, but you will need to figure it out as you go and there are few amenities that we are used when traveling the west. There are few motels/hotels for instance. I'm thinking that for this tourist initiative they may require going in a group, or at minimum, a known itinerary with passage papers to match.
There are several interesting areas, from the beaches on the Red Sea to the high mountains in Abha (10,000 feet), to the ancient ruins here and there, to the mega-oasis around Hofuf (date groves for endless miles, which was the primary economy before oil was discovered!).
14
@Joe Rock bottom, Sounds good, but I wouldn't give the Saudis a cent of my money until they advance at least to the 20th Century.
5
I love to travel and am know that Saudi Arabia and other Muslim countries have many things of interest that I like to see. That said, as a female, I cannot begin to conceive the idea of taking such a trip . I no longer drink alcohol and have no interest in going around dressed in skimpy attire ( I'm 59), and respect the right of countries to structure their societies as they see fit. That said, being constantly "chaperoned" and not really being able to interact with the local folks would take a lot of enjoyment out of the experience.
20
I lived and worked in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) for 9 years, working for Saudia, the national airline. I'm just one of hundreds of thousands of Americans and citizens of many other countries from throughout the world who have lived and worked there. When President Carter visited KSA, he remarked there were more Americans working there, about 110,000 at that time, than the population of his home county in Georgia. Millions more visit KSA for the Hadj each year along with many thousands of business men and women in pursuit of ongoing trade relations. Opening KSA to foreign visitors has already included existing group travel and cruise ship stops. Most Saudis have traveled outside KSA, and many younger Saudis have studied and lived abroad in the US and other countries. English speakers abound. It's not been a "closed" Kingdom for many decades!
Clearly by US standards, KSA is a very conservative country, and while the pace of political reform is changing, it still has a ways to go. But it is not a hostile country for visitors. Granted, there's no alcohol, but it has a long tradition of classic Arabian hospitality. It's a huge country with various interesting and ancient places to visit. Tourist accommodations are generally modern and widely available. I suspect that many visitors would be surprised by the country and not find it as harsh or oppressive as often depicted.
10
@Ron Adam
Not one dime, riyal, of my money. It’s a propaganda campaign designed to present themselves as a country of beauty and openness. Once the abiyah is removed their true oppression of its people is revealed. Support a country so you can have an “exotic” travel experience? Truly first world arrogance.
https://www.amnesty.org/en/countries/middle-east-and-north-africa/saudi-arabia/
The authorities severely restricted the rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly. Many human rights defenders and government critics, including women’s rights activists, were arbitrarily detained. The public prosecution called for the execution of Shi’a activists and religious clerics for expressing dissent. Many activists were sentenced to lengthy prison terms, including under counter-terrorism legislation following grossly unfair trials before the Specialized Criminal Court The authorities used the death penalty extensively, carrying out scores of executions for a range of crimes, including drug offences. Torture and other ill-treatment of detainees remained common. Despite limited reforms, including allowing women to drive, women faced systematic discrimination in law and practice and were inadequately protected against sexual and other violence. Discrimination against the Shi’a minority remained entrenched. The authorities continued to arrest, detain and deport foreign workers to countries where they were at risk of human rights violations.
4
@Ron Adam
I've experienced The "long tradition of classic Arabian hospitality" there.
At least in the business sphere it is local business partner (a requirement to do business there) demonstrating to the outsiders how wealthy and "generous" they are.
If you don't think it is harsh or oppressive, clearly you've moved in very limited gilded circles there.
6
@Ron Adam
Unless one is a woman.
6
I am leaving with a mixed group in a couple of weeks. We cannot go to Mecca and Medina, but will tour the rest of the company. My interest became piqued when I saw Saudis doing in Bahrain what they could not do at home. I will be bringing may abaya, just in case.
1
Some time ago, the NYTimes had a Muslim reporter document her journey for the hajj which fascinated and engaged me as I followed the multi-part story from start to finish. I knew I’d not be able to enter Medina and I’ve always dressed conservatively as a matter of prudent course while traveling internationally, even occasionally donning a headscarf, but the story still piqued my interest in visiting. I quickly discovered though that as a woman, I’d have to join a women-only chaperoned tourist group in order to visit and travel to historic and natural sites and my freedom to wander solo and explore as I am wont to do (always hyper-cautiously and fully-informed of local realities) would be severely curtailed. There were other hurdles as well but soon thereafter, Saudi Arabia’s draconian human rights abuses began to dominate headlines and I thought, “What was I thinking?!”
Still, I would love to see that seemingly mesmerizing ancient land and culture but only after further political change and my own ability as an independent woman to walk solo out of my hotel and freely explore the neighborhood like I’ve done in every country I’ve visited, Muslim and Buddhist included, is iron-clad and guaranteed.
33