Although the bulk of tourism in Saudi Arabia still includes religious pilgrimage, there has been an increase in the tourism cognitive sector. According to the World Bank , about 14.3 million people visited Saudi Arabia in 2012, which puts it in 19th place in terms of attendance [1] . Potential tourist areas include Al-Hijaz and Sarawat mountains , diving in the Red Sea and many ancient ruins.
In December 2013, Saudi Arabia announced for the first time in its history its intention to start issuing tourist visas. The Council of Ministers instructed the Saudi Commission on Tourism and Antiquities to issue visas on the basis of certain rules approved by the ministries of internal and foreign affairs [2] .
Museums
- Museum of National Heritage and History in Riyadh
- Burayd Museum
- Dammam History Museum ( Arabic: متحف الدمام الإقليمي )
- Dammam Public Library
- Dahran Exhibition Center ( Arabic: مركز الظهران معارض )
- People's Village
- National Museum
The Dammam National Museum is located on the 4th floor of the Dammam Public Library, opposite Muhammad bin Fahd Stadium at the Dammam-Khobar Highway junction in Al-Tubayshi. A must for guests of the region, the museum is dedicated to the history of the country, culture, and residents, preserving sacred things and the remains of crafts.
World Heritage
Diriya is a city in Saudi Arabia located on the northwestern edge of Riyadh . Ediriya was the first home of the Saudi royal family and served as the capital of the first Saudi dynasty from 1744 to 1818. Today the city is the capital of the Diriya province , which also includes the villages of Uyain , Jubail , Al-Ammariyah and others; is part of the administrative district (province) of Riyadh .
Madain Salih is a pre-Islamic archaeological site located near the city of Al-Ula, in the Medina district in Saudi Arabia [3] . Most of the finds are attributed to the Nabatean kingdom (1st century AD) [4] . The place is the southernmost and largest settlement after Petra , the capital of the kingdom [5] [6] . Traces of the Likhyanites and the Roman occupation before and after the Nabataean government, respectively, can also be found on the spot [6] , while accounts from the Koran tell of an earlier settlement of the area by the Samud tribe in the 3rd millennium BC [7] .
Palace of Saad Ibn Saud
Religious tourism
Tourism in Saudi Arabia is still largely linked to religious pilgrimage . Mecca visits more than three million pilgrims a year during the month of Zul al-Hijj in Hajj [8] , and about two million a month in Ramadan in Umrah [9] . During the rest of the year, Mecca receives about four million during the Umrah. Hajj , or pilgrimage to the city, is one of the five pillars of Islam . However, representatives of other faiths are not allowed here.
Limitations and Security
All visitors to Saudi Arabia require sponsorship, which is usually organized within a few months. Visas are issued only for businesses, relatives of citizens, for transit to a third country, and Muslim pilgrims ; Tourism for entertainment is not allowed. Citizens of GCC countries , such as Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman and Qatar, do not need a visa to enter the country. They are also allowed to live and work in Saudi Arabia and vice versa. They can also enter using their national ID cards. Women cannot travel alone, they and children require permission from the male head of the family to enter and leave the country [10] . Although crime is lower here than in many cities around the world, the US State Department warns travelers about the increased risk of attacks on Westerners and attacks on ships in certain areas [10] .
Pilgrims coming to Hajj from other countries, including foreign citizens who already live in Saudi Arabia, must obtain permission and arrange transportation and accommodation with a travel agency approved by the government. Hajj and Umra allow foreign visitors only access to the area around and between Mecca , Medina and Jeddah , and only for a limited time.
Notes
- ↑ Tourism in Saudi Arabia: Wish you were here , economist.com.
- ↑ Tourist visas to be introduced . Date of treatment June 11, 2015.
- ↑ Abu-Nasr, Donna Digging up the Saudi past: Some would rather not . Associated Press (August 30, 2009). Date of appeal September 17, 2009.
- ↑ The New Encyclopædia Britannica: Macropædia Volume 13. - USA: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 1995. - P. 818. - ISBN 0-85229-605-3 .
- ↑ Expansion of the Nabataeans . Date of appeal September 17, 2009.
- ↑ 1 2 ICOMOS Evaluation of Al-Hijr Archaeological Site (Madâin Sâlih) World Heritage Nomination . World Heritage Center. Date of appeal September 16, 2009.
- ↑ Creation of Al-Hijr . Date of appeal September 17, 2009.
- ↑ Hajj Requirements: Visas for 1430 Hajj (link not available) . Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia. Date of treatment July 30, 2009. Archived August 11, 2009.
- ↑ 1430H Umrah Visas unopened (unreachable link) . Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia. Date of treatment July 30, 2009. Archived July 26, 2009.
- ↑ 1 2 Country Information . Date of treatment June 11, 2015. Archived February 23, 2011.