By Mark Curtis

Anyone who has ever seen the movie "Lawrence of Arabia" cannot fail to have been impressed by the special beauty of the country's unique landscape. Epic camel safaris are not yet on tour operator's itineraries but today a conscious effort is being made to develop an emerging tourism industry.

Simultaneously ultra-modern, ancient and very different, Saudi Arabia has much more to offer than a great desert wilderness — although the appeal of one of the last great unspoiled landscapes on earth should not be dismissed. The opportunities for visitors have opened up considerably in recent times, as a result both of improvements in infrastructure (bringing the places of interest more easily within reach during a typical vacation span) and a commitment from the government to encourage tourism.

In April 2000, the government announced the establishment of a supreme council on tourism, at ministerial level. Prince Sultan bin Salman Bin Abdul Aziz was appointed its secretary general (a man who knows a thing or two about travel — in 1985 he flew aboard the U.S. space shuttle Discovery) and it is chaired by the Second Deputy Prime Minister Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, reflecting the importance the government places upon its work.

The objective for the council is more than the traditional one of attracting overseas income from the visitor trade. There is a genuine desire to make the country better understood, to bring more people to a better appreciation of the truth about Arab life, art and culture.

Saudi Arabia is a nation of contrast. The great civil engineering projects of recent times offer some of the most modern cityscapes to be found anywhere in the world. At the same time there are places where the past still lives, where ancient crafts are still a way of life and gems of history are waiting to be discovered.

Nowhere is that heritage more startlingly brought to life than Jeddah Old Town. Here is a city where, in sight of modern buildings, you can be transported into the past. The spectacular Souk Al Alawi street market winds through much of the old town. This is an ideal spot to hunt for bargains, gifts and souvenirs or simply to sample the local atmosphere at its richest. The Municipal Museum of Jeddah is constructed from coral harvested from the Red Sea and along with the packed, theme-park style Museum of Abdel Raouf Hasan Khalil and the Jeddah Museum itself, should be essential stopping-off points.

Photo by Marco Venditti

Much of the tourism to the old town and the other attractions is promoted by the Jeddah Holding Company, a firm with the full backing of Makkah Province's governor, Prince Abdul Majeed bin Abdul Aziz. The company is charged both with encouraging tourism and expanding the city's opportunities in trade and services. The tourism division recognizes that success begets success: that by attracting and satisfying more and more visitors, the company can attract further inward investment, fuelling both promotion and the development of the tourist capital of the city.

Of greater antiquity still is the rock city of Madain Salah near Madinah. With its tombs, carved into the rock by Nabatean masons between 100BC and 100AD this is the country's most impressive archaeological site. The largest tomb, Qasr Farid is carved from a solitary outcrop of rock, standing sentinel in the desert.

As well as the national pride so evident throughout the country, each of the districts seems to want to outdo its neighbors in the quality of its presentation to tourists. The Taif region in particular has grasped the opportunity to develop its tourist appeal. Taif Investment company was established in 1999 with the express brief to make more of the region's appeal. Among its key projects have been the hotels, family areas and playgrounds of Al-Hada Resort and Al-Kar Tourist Village linked together by an almost 14,000 foot-long cable car route. Thanks to the altitude, Taif city is cooler and more comfortable than Jeddah in the summer months and so offers welcome respite.

Finding your way to Saudi Arabia is easy for the American visitor. Saudi Arabian Airlines operates scheduled flights from New York, Los Angeles, Washington and Orlando, as well as more than fifty cities worldwide, on one of the most modern fleets in the world. For many, the first experience of Saudi lifestyle will begin as they step aboard and receive a welcome distinctly Arabian in its warmth.

That welcoming attitude extends to all people of the country. The requirement to be welcoming to the traveler is an integral part both of Islamic and Arabic attitudes — a lasting trace of a nomadic past. There is a genuine hospitality among the people and a willingness to talk proudly about their country that is at once engaging and informative.

Of course, visiting a staunchly Islamic country does carry additional responsibility to respect local custom. Alcohol is forbidden and certain standards of dress and decorum are expected to be followed — especially for women. None of these is especially onerous, however, and the intrepid visitor will find such requirements a part of the experience.

For those who like their vacation destination to be very different from home, who enjoy the chance to sample another way of life or who have a fascination for how ingenuity is taming one of the world's most inhospitable landscapes, Saudi Arabia has much to offer. And in contrast to the environment, the hospitality of the people is an integral part of the Arab way of life. Perhaps, like T E Lawrence, you could find yourself captivated by both.

The Smithsonian Institute is organizing a study tour to Saudi Arabia from October 25-November 8, 2001. Details can be found at http://smithsonianstudytours.org/sst/international/102501saudi.htm

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