Background of tourism in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia is one of the world best tourism destination the nation which is Islamic is contains the city of Mecca which is visited by Muslims from all over the world. The nation which is among the major oil producers shifted from a poor nation to a luxurious destination for the rich after the discovery of oil. The nation is home to many luxury hotel and business men frequent the destination to hold their talks. The nation has the most amazing architectural works that man has made with land mark buildings that are both a sign of architectural prowess and beauty. The religious city holds the largest procession of Muslims during pilgrimage to Mecca. The nation has many qualities to be admired starting from the natural land forms that form around the large kingdom to the artifacts stored in the museum. Worldwide, monarchy system of government has faded and it is among the remaining world monarch. The kingdom has a lot of art that attracts the tourists to this destination. The paintings and rags form some of the collectable that the tourists carry from their trips. The nation has some of the animals indigenous to it, this animals form a part of the attraction to the kingdom. Tourism is a key player in the economy of the nation, the plan to invest more on tourism was sparked after the reality that oil might depreciate and leave the nation with no other source of income. The nation invested more on other sectors that may reduce the over dependence on oil. The emergence of five star hotels was the result and the nation has come up with strategies to increase the inflow of tourists (Hodges, 2009.p.245.paragraph 2).
Some cities in Saudi Arabia are so exclusive to Muslims that those who don’t follow Islam cannot enter. The majority of those visiting Saudi Arabia are those that are on a pilgrim to Mecca and thus Muslims are the primary tourists to this destination. Art lovers and historians also frequent this place as there is a variety of art in this area. The land forms also attract archeologists’ ant they search for history in the soil. Items used in the early days as far as the stone age have been found and preserved in museums. The nation has a rich history as it was an early civilization trading in money and goods. The early tools of trade have been studied and also preserved, this form an exciting part of history for historians to want to study. The visitors in the nation are advised to respect the way the citizens of the nation are behaving. The people are Muslim and those other faiths are required to respect the way the Muslims are behaving. Pork products are forbidden and such rules should be followed. The tourists visiting this destination are advised to carry money to cater for unseen emergencies. The tourists are also given mapped to help them go around the great kingdom. The maps contain the various tourist scenes and the land marks that they may want to visit. The visitors are also advised on what products they should not carry into the nation because they may be offensive to the religion. The Muslims need to visit the nation because one of the five pillars of Islam requires them to make a pilgrimage to Mecca. This requires the Muslims to vacation the nation at least one time in their life time. The non Muslims that are strong radical who wouldn’t change their views or respect them are advice not to visit the kingdom (Lew, 2008.p.23,paragraph 2).
People visiting Saudi Arabia annually top five countries in 2011.
Country people in millions
France 74.2
USA 54.9
Spain 52.2
China 50.9
Italy 43.2
(Saudi tourism outlook, 2011.P.10. first chart.)
Antiques and museums in Saudi Arabia
The main museum in Saudi Arabia is the national museum which was recognized in 1999 by the king as a part of the historical center in Riyadh. For the previous decade, the discussion to build this history store was under discussion and the deadline for its establishment set for the year 1999. The museum was built from scratch and required architectural mastery to capture the historic values of the kingdom. The architectural work was inspired by the dune created by the sand in the Arabian Desert.
The museum is home to historical art dating from the discovery of early man and some of the tools he used to the nearer history in which the modernization of the people of Saudi Arabia is captured. The religious aspect of the kingdom is portrayed by some of the early works of man with the discovery of artifacts like the hand written Holy book which is displayed in the museum.
The museum has galleries that teach the visitors the way of the people in the pre Islam period, the prophets are also covered in the galleries and their missions illustrated. The Islam and Arabian isthmus and the first two states of Arabia are also well displayed in the galleries in the museum. The show ends with the unification by king Aziz and the two holy mosques. Hajj is displayed and a large replica of Mecca and is environs is displayed (Wynbrandt, 2010.p.117.paragraph 1).
Some forts like Masmark were restored since their building in 1865; the fort serves as a tourism exhibition holding a vast base3 of artifacts as well as history stored behind its clay and brick walls. The fort has a door large enough to grant passage to a single individual at a time, the fort encloses a mosque and a well. The fort displays traditional weaponry and tools of agriculture.
Nasseef House is another historical building containing great wood work and calligraphy. The building was completed in 1881 and shows some of the architectural history of the kingdom. Another museum is the royal Saudi air force museum; the museum displays the airplanes used by the Arabian forces over the years and is a rich history source for those interested in airplanes. The Shadda palace was constructed in 1820and was the main ruling palace in the early years it was situated in Abha and after many years it was converted into a museum.
The museum antiques include traditional stone tools, traditional art like paintings and carvings. Some evidence of portly is found in the pots displayed in the museum. Traditional ornaments are also available for display in the museum. The transport system like railway system is also preserved in museums in the kingdom. The museums in Saudi Arabia re categorized into cultural, educational, architectural and sites that attract visitors. All this categories have many museums that make the tourist destination worthwhile. The tourists are guaranteed value for their money. The buildings, the work of art and the religious displays make up part of the famous antiques in the region.
Great tourist destination
While in the nation, the tourist must make sure he travels widely because the attractions in the country are many. The individual should ensure that some of the sites such as the national museum is in the list. The other museum like the air force museum is a marvel plus some of the desert scene. The land forms in the desert are a tourist attraction to many. The art galleries which hold good Islamic art should also be visited while visiting the kingdom. The national museum is among the most famous tourist destination in the kingdom with tourists visiting the destination yearly in large numbers. The hotels in the area also attract the rich and contribute significantly to the economy of the nation. The city of Mecca is a must visit for those who are Muslims among other holy sites give the Muslims more faith in their religion (Shoult, 2006.p.65.paragraph3).
Meda’in Saleh is situated in northern part of Saudi Arabia and it is a prehistoric city. It is the oldest conurbation and for that reasons the most important city in Saudi Arabia. The city is situated strategically along the old trade routes that contributed significantly to its development. The city interlinked some of the early civilization that was a source of economic and cultural development. The city is typified by distinctive rock formation of various colors. The city was second in size in the group of Arab ethnic groups called Al-Anbat, the group was comprised of traders and pastoralist and during their movement they settled and created a city. The city had tombs in the hills to conceal their deceased. The tombs were distinguishable depending on the social hierarchy. Due to the loaded history of the city, it is considered an attraction (Scott, 2010.p. 47.paragraph 1).
Al-Dir’iyah is a northern town in Saudi Arabia and it is famous because it was the palace of the king and from it the king ruled over the first Saudi empire. Its history goes as long as the fifteenth century. The urban was established by a decedent of the loyal family called Al-Mraydi. The city is recognized by UNESCO as a heritage and is a good tourist attraction (Mobile Reference, 2007, subsection 4).
The city gives an insight to the way the loyal family used to live in the early days. The city was ruined by war but as part of the restoration process by the Saudi government, it is shaping up again. The cities whether repaired or in ruins comprise of some of the historical sites in the nation. The mosques and the architectural works of the earlier days make up the sites in the region. The current discoveries in the kingdom include the human remains of an individual of huge stature in the Arabian Desert. Statures that are prehistoric have also been revealed in the desert and they offer more clues about the ancestors of Saudi Arabia. The discovery of Mount Sinai where Moses received the commandments is the latest discovery in this great kingdom. The discovery is appealing to even the christens to visit the kingdom for religious reasons (Bowen, 2007.p.107 paragraph 3).
Conclusion
The nation is full of history of the people who live in Saudi Arabia and also the human race. The history of early man is studied from the region. The area has many tourist destinations that have helped the nation to reduce the dependency on oil. The nation is full of major cities that were homes to previous rulers of the loyal family. The kingdom is religious and Muslims from all over the world vacation Mecca during pilgrimage. The hotels in the region are well built and they give the wealth a luxurious experience. The local tourists also play a big part in the development of tourism in the nation and their rates are usually subsidized compared to international tourists.
References
Bowen, W. H. (2007). The history of Saudi Arabia. Westport, CN: Greenwood Press.
MobileReference, . (2007). Travel Mecca and Saudi Arabia. Boston: MobileReference.com.
Lew, A. A., Hall, C. M., & Timothy, D. J. (2008). World geography of travel and tourism: A regional approach. Amsterdam [u.a.: Elsevier/Butterworth-Heinemann.
Scott, N., & Jafari, J. (2010). Tourism in the Muslim world. Bingley, UK: Emerald.
Shoult, A. (2006). Doing business with Saudi Arabia. London: GMB.
Tourism information and research center, (2011). Saudi Tourism Outlook retrieved from ww.sct.gov.sa/publications/DownloadServlet?fid. On 30th may 2011
Hodges, E. M. (2009). I can say “I slept in Saudi Arabia!”. Bloominton, IN: AuthorHouse.
Wynbrandt, J. (2010). A brief history of Saudi Arabia. New York, NY: Facts On File
