Exploring Saudi Arabia: how recent changes are shaping a brighter future
As we all know Saudi Arabia is a country in the midst of change.
Traditionally known for its oil and subsequent wealth, its religious conservatism and, until recently, its relative isolationism, it doesn’t enjoy the rosiest of reputations. Indeed, past human rights violations have seen it boycotted by many, while tourists, sports stars and businesspeople have been criticised for visiting.
And to be very honest, I was uncertain as to what I might find.
But very quickly it became apparent that Saudi Arabia has come a long way in a very short period of time. With tourism visas only kicking in post-pandemic, it’s barely been four years that foreign visitors have been encouraged to visit the country. However, as part of the grand Vision 2030, where Saudi Arabia attempts to move its mammoth economy away from oil and gas and into anything else – from tech to finance and fashion to tourism – things are most definitely on the move. Amazing hotels are springing up all over the place, you can find Michelin star restaurants in the most unlikely of places, there is the biggest mirrored building in the world in the middle of the desert – hosting, when we were there, an Italian fashion exhibition – one of the fastest trains in the world and now some wonderful guides. Many of the women don’t wear the all-enveloping abaya and face-covering niqab anymore, most tourists wear pretty much what they like and the men we spoke to were in favour of these changes.
And in many ways, our tour leader, Nahed, symbolises the changes the country is going through. A married woman, curious about the outside world, she dropped her full-time role in HR with Saudi Aramco, to become a tour guide. She studied the country's history, did a first aid course, got her driving licence and improved her English. A charming, thoughtful and intelligent woman, passionate about her country and proud of the changes that it is going through, she made for an excellent tour leader, opening our eyes to what the country now has to offer.
‘Look at me,’ she said. ‘I am living proof things are changing for the better.’
Of course, there are many amazing things to see and do in Saudi Arabia and the 11-day itinerary was packed with interesting experiences. From the nation’s busy capital, Riyadh, we travelled by way of camel markets and souqs to the date centre in Buraydah.
In Jubba we saw palaeolithic rock art and in Al Ula Nabatean tombs; we had dinner with a local family in Ha’il, visited the holy city of Medina, walked around the rim of an extinct volcano, travelled at 300kph on the impressive highspeed train and wandered through the UNESCO old town of Jeddah. All the while in the very capable hands of Nahed.
On the last night, I invited a Saudi friend, Reem Philby, to join us for dinner. Reem is the granddaughter of the British explorer and Arabist Harry St John Philby and his Saudi wife, Rozy al-Abdul Aziz. (Look up Harry – he’s a fascinating man). Reem is something of an explorer herself having followed in her grandfather’s footsteps by walking across the vast Arabian desert from the east coast of the country to the west coast. She lives just outside Jeddah and, like Nahed, was unequivocal in her support for the direction the country is now taking.
‘I have a 17-year-old daughter and I honestly can think of a better place for her to grow up right now,’ she told us.
‘She is totally safe, she has some of the best schooling in the world and now has all kinds of opportunities.’
There will undoubtedly still be those who think it is wrong to visit Saudi Arabia, and its true the country’s government is certainly not perfect. But from what I have seen by my short visit to the country, I am convinced, it is heading in the right direction.
