Reflections on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, officially abbreviated as KSA. As a teenager I read about Mecca, the forbidden city and how in the 19th century British explorer Richard Burton risked death masquerading as a Muslim to get there. Of course the forbidden, in a closed country always invites curiosity.
Soon after graduating as a doctor I considered applying to work in Saudi. Wages were generous and no taxation appealed to me but my life partner declared it as Haram! Decades later I am here as a tourist just a handful of years after it has opened up and I believe that now is the sweet spot.
The king has decreed that by 2030 the kingdom will be transformed into an open fair society and tourism is set to overtake oil revenues as the world turns away from fossil fuels. Riyadh Air based out Riyadh airport is aggressively building up to challenge Qatar and Emirates. The world expo is here in 2030 and the FIFA world cup in 2034. The latter event is set to lead to relaxation of the ban around alcohol here much as it did in Qatar last time.
I anticipate that in the next decade travel here will be mainstream package tours etc, which is not the way I travel. I am pleased to have done this trip now at a time when getting around took a bit of effort. Even my life partner who was not keen on coming here was blown away by some of the scenery! I can’t see myself coming back ……..unless they open up Mecca!