Throughout the years, Saudi Arabia has made its laws a lot less stringent i.e. clothing laws are more relaxed and women now are able to drive. In addition to this, the country started to issue tourist visas upon arrival in 2019, for the first time. You might be wondering, why?
After the rise of Dubai as a popular destination for western tourists in the last 10 years, resulting in huge economical benefits for the country., it seems Saudi Arabia has decided to follow suit.
(source: 10 Cool Things to Do at the Palm Jumeirah in Dubai)
An image showing the tourist haven “The Palm Jumeirah, Dubai”.
The Kingdom launched its first international tourism campaign in 2021, and it has since been announced that they have an $800 billion budget to invest into tourism.
How are they doing it?
Red Sea Global
Seemingly inspired by Dubai’s development of The Palm Jumeirah, Saudi Arabia announced that they would be creating their own resort off the coast into the Red Sea. Its main aims are said to be: sustainability and protecting nature.
Read more here: Red Sea Global - Red Sea Global
The Line
It consists of a rather futuristic ‘city’ in which there will be no roads or car and everything will be accessible by public transport within 20 minutes. It is believed it will run off 100% renewable energy, with 95% of land being preserved for nature. What makes The Line different from all other cities across the globe is its revolutionary infrastructure.
Here’s a link to NEOM’s website (creator of The Line):
Do you think this is really possible in the near future?