Back in 2019. Tourists travel the world in total carefree, flights have never been so cheap. Only one country still resists.Saudi Arabia does not issue visas to tourists. On September 27, the country took the world by surprise and announced the opening of its doors with immediate effect. But then an unknown virus appeared and paralyzed the whole world. Saudi Arabia closed its doors as quickly as it had opened them and even suspended the hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca. In 2022, tourism timidly took off again, with one country after another lifting access and health restrictions. To mark the occasion and take revenge on a failed launch due to the pandemic, Saudi Arabia announced the granting of a visa on arrival for holders of European passports in April. After a century of withdrawal, the country welcomes visitors with open arms and is multiplying campaigns to promote the new destination. With its sumptuous landscapes of deserts and mountains, preserved seabeds lying under turquoise waters, important archaeological remains and a rich and varied culture based on hospitality, the country does not lack assets to become one of the brightest stars of the world tourism firmament.
AlUla, the place to be
If you had to choose only one site to visit, it would be AlUla. The oasis has been chosen as the ambassador of Arabia as a tourist destination, linking ancestral civilizations with a contemporary art form. The palm grove stretches in a narrow valley framed by pink sandstone cliffs of stunning beauty. Water, easily controllable access, soft rocks, the Dadanites did not need more to make the place the capital of their civilization in the 6th century BC. The tombs with the Lions dug in the mountain as well as the vestiges of a city still in excavation testify of the power of Dadan. They were driven out by the Nabataeans in the 2nd century B.C. This tribe from Yemen built up an inexhaustible wealth with the control of the caravan routes of the peninsula. They left as a legacy the necropolis of Hegra, with its very special tombs. Before occupying Petra, further north, the Nabataeans made their home on a sandy plateau traversed by rolling mountains.
120 tombs were dug there, decorated with facades with stepped porticoes, betyls are engraved forever in a narrow passageway leading to the remains of a temple. The Roman Empire precipitated the fall of the ancient Arab civilizations, but trade continued and AlUla remained an important caravanning stop. The abundance of water in the soil allowed the local tribes to settle down and cultivate fruit trees. A large village was formed, with stone and adobe houses, a souk animated by local craftsmen and cafes. Today, the Saudi government is investing heavily in AlUla to make it an exceptional destination. The old village is being restored to accommodate hotels and restaurants. Every winter, the surrounding valleys host the Winter X Festival, a major contemporary art event where monumental works are exhibited outdoors. Music is played in the splendid Maraya concert hall, an architectural folly covered with thousands of mirrors reflecting the extraordinary beauty of the surrounding landscape. There are many activities for nature lovers. Hiking between spectacular mountains, via ferrata and climbing for the most daring, stargazing in a night devoid of light pollution or even buggy in the sandy valleys are to be included in the program of festivities.
Riyadh, a vibrant capital
AlUla cannot overshadow the country's other assets, starting with Riyadh, the capital of this country four times the size of France. It is here that the societal advances promised by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salmane are most noticeable. Women drive and work, some have dropped the niqab (veil covering the face), others smoke on the terraces of cafes. The population is the image of the country, young and active. The city has developed enormously since the 1950s and today, nothing separates the old city from the former capital Diriyah, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The clash of eras allows us to cross the history of the young country founded on September 23, 1932 and the formidable rise of the Saud clan. On January 15, 1902, Abdulaziz bin Saud seized the fortress of Al Masmak and took Riyadh from the Rashid clan. In 1936, he launched the construction of the Murabba Palace, 2 kilometers further north. The construction of this palace prefigures the entry of Saudi Arabia in the era of modernity. It was the first building to be electrified, to have an elevator and running water in the bathrooms. A paved road was built to allow the king to access it. It also marks the beginning of the expansion of Riyadh, a metropolis that keeps on nibbling away at the desert. The historic heart of the capital is linked to the different districts of the city by wide arteries. Each king has left his mark on the city. Khalid has his airport, Abdullah his business center with its glass and steel towers, Fahd his lighthouse, the Kingdom Centre, which towers 300 meters above the capital. The princes and princesses turn to the arts and support foundations, galleries and concept stores. Thanks to them, Riyadh has become a vibrant center for the representation of artistic forms in the Arab world. As good city dwellers, Riyadh's residents escape on weekends to hike to the Edge of the World, a line of cliffs overlooking the Najd Plateau, or to rev up the engines of their SUVs in the red dunes of Thumamah orAl-Muzhamiyah National Park. In line with the "Vision 2030" plan to get away from oil dependency, they visit their country. They go on excursions to the ancient villages of the Najd, with their white crenellated pediments, or to the gates of the Rub' al Khali, the most hostile desert in the world, and to the oasis of Al Ahsa.
Al Hofuf and Al Ahsa Oasis, beautiful excursions
In the east of Saudi Arabia, the city of Al Hofuf and the oasis of Al Ahsa merge to form an exciting and varied tourist destination. On the city side, the traditional souk of Qaisariya is one of the most vibrant in the country. Although it burned down in 2012, it has been rebuilt to its former glory with its arcades, narrow alleys and stores overflowing with all kinds of goods. While the Ibrahim Palace is being restored to its former glory, you should stroll through the narrow streets of Old Koud, a preserved neighborhood that captures the atmosphere of pre-unification Saudi Arabia. The Al Koot Hotel, the only historical establishment in the country, allows you to learn about the subtleties of Al Ahsa's gastronomy, including the most expensive and nutritious red hasawi rice. Surrounded by the Rub' Al-Khali desert, with its extreme temperatures, the oasis of Al Ahsa is the largest in the world. With 3 million palm trees, the region is the largest date production center in the country. You have to come at the end of September to witness the harvest and see the men climbing barefoot the slender trunks. The crossing of the palm grove leads to the mountain of Al Qarah, an amazing isolated limestone formation. The wind and rain have created cracks and galleries that allow you to walk through the mountain from the inside while enjoying a constant temperature of 25°C, winter and summer. You should not leave Al Hofuf without a trip to the Yellow Lake, surrounded by soft sand dunes and lined with tall grass.
Mecca and Medina, pious escapades
Moving to the west of the country, the doors of the provinces of Mecca and Medina open up. If the first city remains reserved for Muslims, the second welcomes pilgrims and tourists from all over the world within its sacred perimeter. Medina is the cradle of Islam, the city where the prophet Mohammed took refuge after being expelled from Mecca, the place of the very first mosques. The an-Nabawi Mosque, founded in 622, has been remodeled time and again to accommodate more and more worshippers. In addition to its historical character, it is also the burial place of the Prophet. There is an atmosphere of serene religiosity and subdued joy in the city. The access to the holy places of Islam is traditionally done through Jeddah. The city bathed by the Red Sea is the only one in Saudi Arabia that has always welcomed visitors from all over the world. Its inhabitants are proud of its open-mindedness, its cosmopolitanism and its old city. The Al-Balad district is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its coral block houses and openwork wooden bay windows, which allowed people to feel the pulse of the street without being seen. Its inhabitants perpetuate the tradition of crafts, whether they are potters, wood turners, carpenters, dyers, painters ... At the end of the day, the merchants of the souks open the heavy wooden shutters of their stores and the streets come alive as a light breeze tempers the muggy city.
Jeddah and the south, between mountains and idleness
Jeddah is also a good starting point to reach the south of the country, whose landscapes, architecture and climate go against the clichés that stick to the country. Here, no sand dunes, but mountains. In Taif and its 1,800 meters of altitude, the air is already fresh. In April, the scent of roses perfumes its surroundings. The region is specialized in the cultivation of the Damascus rose, which is then transformed into heady perfumes and fragrant oils. Further south, the stone houses of Al Bahah province reflect the harsh winters. They are never more beautiful than in the impressive abandoned village of Thee Ain, a mineral citadel leaning against the mountain. The Sarawat range continues into Yemen, crossing the province of Asir. Jebel Soudah seems to tower over Abha, the capital, from the top of its 3,000 meters. From the top, accessible by car, the view is lost on rocky slopes covered with shrubs, in steep valleys, without losing sight of colonies of baboons. A spectacular road winds up to the village of Rijal Alma, its mosques and stone houses with colorful shutters. One of them has been transformed into a museum and allows to admire the al-qatt, the pictorial art of the Asir. These are colorful frescoes with symbolic geometric patterns. The countryside of the region is punctuated with high adobe watchtowers betraying a past animated by brigandage and feuds between tribes. Old Yemeni-style adobe villages frame espaliered plots where strawberries, bananas, grapes or figs grow. Turning to the southwest, we slide to Jezan and the Farasan Islands. The white sandbanks and the deep turquoise waters invite you to play Robinson Crusoe for a night of wild camping. If you choose the south-east, you will flirt with the border of Yemen until you reach Najran and its impressive adobe fortress-houses.
"Vision 2030", the ambitious development plan
In its ambition to develop tourism, summarized in the "Vision 2030" plan, Saudi Arabia plans to reshape the sumptuous landscapes of the Tabouk region in the north. The $500 billion NEOM project will build a resilient city, a ski and leisure resort, and a Maldives-style beach resort. The Line will be a 170 km long, traffic-free, zero-carbon linear city with a high-speed metro that will take only 40 minutes to travel from one end of the city to the other. It is positioned at the mouth of the Gulf of Aqaba, bordering the Red Sea. The Jebel al Lawz, which rises to 2,500 metres in the Hijaz mountain range, has been chosen as the site of a high altitude resort, ski slopes and a huge reservoir. The work should be completed in 2028, as the Asian Winter Games have been awarded to Saudi Arabia. Further south, the string of islands off the coast between the villages of Al Wajh and Umluj, becomes the Red Sea Project. The immaculate sandy islets crowned with sumptuous coral beds are to host hotels and luxury resorts able to rival the hyper-luxurious tropical paradises of the Maldives or the Seychelles. If the NEOM project may seem excessive, it is the image of a country seeking to compete with its neighbors in the Emirates or Qatar, capable of investing astronomical sums to design a new future for its people. The Saudis welcome this plan with immense pride and are delighted with the conquering spirit of their young leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salmane.
There are still some great corners in the region that should escape the shovels. The fantastic canyon of Wadi Disah, its pink sandstone mountains and its palm grove, the unknown Nabatean vestiges of Al Bad or the wild coast of the Gulf of Aqaba and its mountains falling into translucent waters will delight the lovers of eternal landscapes.
FUTURE INFO
When is it hot?
It is very hot in Saudi Arabia, the thermometer can exceed 50°C in summer. The best season is from November to March, with mild temperatures during the day and cooler ones at night. There are occasional showers, and a down jacket is advisable if you are going to the mountains or spending the night in the desert.
Winter marks the festival season in Saudi Arabia: "Riyadh Season" from October to December, "Winter at Tantora" from late December to late January in AlUla. Jeddah vibrates in summer with its "Summer Festival" and Taif comes alive during the rose picking season at the end of March and beginning of April.
Duration
Allow at least a week to get a taste of the diversity of landscapes that Saudi Arabia has to offer. It takes 4 to 6 weeks to tour the country.
Budget
Hotels and car rentals are comparable to those in Europe.
On the other hand, a day trip or an organized stay is for the well-funded. Count on a minimum of 100 € per day and per person.
Public
Saudi Arabia is for everyone: extreme adventurers who want to experience the hostility of the desert, hikers who love sumptuous landscapes, archaeology and ancient civilizations enthusiasts, divers in search of preserved depths. Couples and families are welcome. However, homosexuality is criminalized.
The pluses
A great variety of spectacularlandscapes.
A real and benevolentsense of hospitality.
Tourist sites that are still not very popular and the feeling of being a pioneer.
The minuses
A willingness to open up to tourists, but preferably rich ones.
The prohibition of alcohol and a certain lack of conviviality.
Very expensive excursion offers, planned in groups and scheduled around weekends. Many sites and museums closed for renovation.
For more information
CONSULATE OF SAUDI ARABIA
29, rue des Graviers
Neuilly-sur-Seine.
Tel: 01 47 47 62 63
You can apply for a visa online or obtain a visa on arrival if you have a European passport.
VISIT SAUDI - SAUDIAN TOURIST OFFICE - More information on their website
All tourist information can be found on their website. Very complete, it provides ideas for your stay, good addresses for all destinations and practical information.
ALULA - More information on the website
For AlUla, visits to sites or activities can be booked in advance on this website.
