Saudi Arabia opens to tourists with investment appeal and no abaya rule

[Jack100]

20 hours ago, from the home of CC said:

Ugly country full of ignorant hypocrites, worst place I've ever been..

You right CC .......    I never felt at home in Alabama either !

[Rimmer]

An off topic post removed

[thaibeachlovers]

47 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

I spent a little over two years in SA and very much enjoyed my time there.

 

My observation of expats in SA is they fell into two broad groups, those who made the best of there time there, took time to see and learn about the country, it’s people, history, culture, food and those who ticked days off their calendar waiting to ‘escape’.

 

I shared an office with one of the latter, he nothing but bad things to say about SA and the people, but in the two years we shared an office I never once witnessed him have a bad experience with a Saudi. His own attitude was ruining two years of his life.

 

I’m very grateful for my time in SA, it was hugely rewarding for me, both personally and financially.

 

 

I worked in a hospital in Riyadh. Almost every nurse hated being there because of the restrictions on females, but like us all only stayed for the money.

However, we had an excellent social club that ran trips and I went on as many as possible. Some of the highlights were desert diamond expeditions, visit to the sand dunes, Graffiti Rock, Hofuf, the rock graves ( like Petra ) near Medina, and the western highlands south of Jeddah, We even visited the railway where Lawrence raided, and saw Turkish stone forts along it. A Saudi prince was restoring the workshops and some of the trains. I thought at the time that it would have made a brilliant idea to ride the train a way, and then an overnight camel journey, camping out under the stars. However, our Saudi guide scoffed at the idea, as he said "why would anyone want to ride on a train when they can drive in a car?". Not the brightest person I ever met. I wanted to ride a camel, but no one seems to do anymore. Plenty of camels, but just for eating now.

I also had trips to Bahrain and Dubai with the club, both excellent.

In the end I left Saudi because the mutawa were so bad, but it was an interesting stay while it lasted.

[thaibeachlovers]

51 minutes ago, Chazar said:

Thais  will need to remove their amulets

 

All types of statues or objects of human or animal form which might be used for religious purposes and worship such as Buddha figurines, religious carvings, altars etc. *Does not include kids toys such as stuffed animals, dolls.

Also don't bring chocolates with alcohol in them. One poor guy did that and had a terrible time at customs. Don't have any Christian symbols like crucifix or cross worn, don't expect to attend church service while in kingdom, men shouldn't have long hair as they hate any man looks like a woman- they still flogged homosexuals when I was there.

[Opl]

3 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Also don't bring chocolates with alcohol in them. One poor guy did that and had a terrible time at customs. Don't have any Christian symbols like crucifix or cross worn, don't expect to attend church service while in kingdom, men shouldn't have long hair as they hate any man looks like a woman- they still flogged homosexuals when I was there.

I'd add: leave your brain at home and keep low profile  

[timendres]

6 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Why. Ever been there?

I've travelled extensively in Saudi, and it has many amazing destinations well worth seeing.

Most are in the Jeddah region which has always been more friendly to foreigners than the east coast.

 

6 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Most of those visitors are there for the Haj. Far as I know they don't get to go sightseeing around the kingdom.

Travel in the kingdom when I was there was closely controlled and one needed a permit before going.

If they are opening it up, it will, IMO, be for groups with a guide going to specific locations, as it was for us. Can't see them letting people wander unrestricted.

I think your second response helps to answer the question in your first response. At least in part. Further, I am a US citizen, and due to my government's less than noble policies, I am quite hesitant to visit any location in the middle east.

[KhunBENQ]

Will there be a weekend special with Friday evening hanging and stoning watched from the VIP grandstand?

[Zeid]

A few years ago attending an exhibition, an exhibitor was handed a black marker and asked to cover the hair of the young girl in the poster. So they made him put a Hijab for her.

A second was advertizing the healing powers of the hot spring, and the guy smiled and wrote Inshallah on the poster.

Historical sites where closed... Long story short this openness is coming fast but most of the people giving negetaive comments will not even realize a Saudi sitting next to them, and where against generalization probably on the Israeli post.

And for all other comments about the messed up version of Islam they follow thank the western governments for supporting a fanatic selfish tribal leader instead of a patriotic leader who would have affected their corporate pockets.

Sent from my LDN-LX2 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[thaibeachlovers]

8 hours ago, Zeid said:

A few years ago attending an exhibition, an exhibitor was handed a black marker and asked to cover the hair of the young girl in the poster. So they made him put a Hijab for her.

They had a load of people using black marker to cover pictures in magazines and on tape cassette covers ( I was there before CDs ). However the laugh was on them when I bought a tape from a popular singer that had a song celebrating the Crusaders victory over the Muslims on it. They obviously hadn't played the tape before allowing it to be sold in Saudi

[mtls2005]

"Everyone gets a bonesaw."

 

 

[Paul Catton]

On 9/28/2019 at 4:04 PM, thaibeachlovers said:

I worked in a hospital in Riyadh. Almost every nurse hated being there because of the restrictions on females, but like us all only stayed for the money.

However, we had an excellent social club that ran trips and I went on as many as possible. Some of the highlights were desert diamond expeditions, visit to the sand dunes, Graffiti Rock, Hofuf, the rock graves ( like Petra ) near Medina, and the western highlands south of Jeddah, We even visited the railway where Lawrence raided, and saw Turkish stone forts along it. A Saudi prince was restoring the workshops and some of the trains. I thought at the time that it would have made a brilliant idea to ride the train a way, and then an overnight camel journey, camping out under the stars. However, our Saudi guide scoffed at the idea, as he said "why would anyone want to ride on a train when they can drive in a car?". Not the brightest person I ever met. I wanted to ride a camel, but no one seems to do anymore. Plenty of camels, but just for eating now.

I also had trips to Bahrain and Dubai with the club, both excellent.

In the end I left Saudi because the mutawa were so bad, but it was an interesting stay while it lasted.

I was in the oil industry so to speak, I ran the first "English" style fish and chip shop opened in Sulaymaniya, Riyadh, left in 1983, many good memories growing up there.

[thaibeachlovers]

2 minutes ago, Paul Catton said:

I was in the oil industry so to speak, I ran the first "English" style fish and chip shop opened in Sulaymaniya, Riyadh, left in 1983, many good memories growing up there.

You oil industry types with your compounds off limits to Saudis were so lucky. I had to live in a building in the middle of Riyadh. No chance of smuggling a girlfriend into it, though the scum security guard did try to set me up to be arrested by pretending he wanted to help me smuggle girls in.

I did get to visit an off limits to Saudis compound though, and it was almost normal- even had a bar.

 

I heard that it was really good back in the 80s. When I arrived after the war the mutawas segregated everything in the hospital, even the dining room, and they were going wild in the streets hitting infidel women not covering their hair properly. Even the Saudis hated the mutawa.

[madmen]

On 9/27/2019 at 12:09 PM, webfact said:

He indicated that alcohol remains banned: "We will have enough tourists to come to Saudi Arabia to enjoy other things."

like what,building sand castles?

[thaibeachlovers]

1 hour ago, madmen said:

like what,building sand castles?

This may be news to you, but multi millions of people enjoy life without drinking alcoholic beverages.

[Paul Catton]

4 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

You oil industry types with your compounds off limits to Saudis were so lucky. I had to live in a building in the middle of Riyadh. No chance of smuggling a girlfriend into it, though the scum security guard did try to set me up to be arrested by pretending he wanted to help me smuggle girls in.

I did get to visit an off limits to Saudis compound though, and it was almost normal- even had a bar.

 

I heard that it was really good back in the 80s. When I arrived after the war the mutawas segregated everything in the hospital, even the dining room, and they were going wild in the streets hitting infidel women not covering their hair properly. Even the Saudis hated the mutawa.

"Oil industry" said with tongue in cheek. Lived off compound in a villa in the city with my parents and siblings amongst Saudi neighbours. The mid 70's early 80's were good with plenty to do and see when not working. Most Fridays we'd be out offroading in the desert along old Bedouin trails.

[thaibeachlovers]

1 hour ago, Paul Catton said:

"Oil industry" said with tongue in cheek. Lived off compound in a villa in the city with my parents and siblings amongst Saudi neighbours. The mid 70's early 80's were good with plenty to do and see when not working. Most Fridays we'd be out offroading in the desert along old Bedouin trails.

Did you ever go to Graffiti Rock? Stone age drawings, and I discovered an old stone wall and remains of a stone building. No excavations ever done.

It would make a marvellous tourist destination. Way out in the desert. 

[madmen]

6 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

This may be news to you, but multi millions of people enjoy life without drinking alcoholic beverages.

Not drinking and forced by authorities are completely different, that may be news to you

[Paul Catton]

On 10/1/2019 at 7:31 PM, thaibeachlovers said:

Did you ever go to Graffiti Rock? Stone age drawings, and I discovered an old stone wall and remains of a stone building. No excavations ever done.

It would make a marvellous tourist destination. Way out in the desert. 

No, both of the Graffiti Rocks were not on the radar or heard about until a few later years for us the (almost) the initial Bondo Bashers, there was still the open sewer running down Bathaa Street back then. they did pipe and close it during my seven year stint.

[Jamesford123]

is this steps make country more develop and more attract for tourist, one my friend invested in residential apartments  in KSA he is also live in one o the most lavish furnished apartments in Al-Khobar