Q. I have always wanted to visit Saudi Arabia but one never sees it featuring in travel supplements or magazines. Is it possible for non-Muslims to enter the kingdom as independent tourists? - Kathy Midon
A. No it is not, and in fact The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia does not even have such a thing as a tourist visa. Only religious pilgrims and people visiting for business or education are granted visas. As Saudi Arabia is looking at ways to develop its economy beyond its present dependence on oil, this could change in the future.
The Financial Times of London recently quoted Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, the head of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage, as saying that tourist visas could be introduced later this year.
The visas may cost $40 and be issued at Saudi embassies abroad, limited to guided, special-interest groups and not tourists travelling independently. He said the country was not at all interested in open-door tourism.
The Saudis have already instituted tour-guide licences and new laws for protecting antiquities.
Also, the Tourism Commission has permission to build a Koran Oasis museum complex in Medina.
Saudi Arabia could become the newest hot destination but on a very limited basis. It's a very conservative country and visitors will probably be under strict instruction on how to dress and behave according to local customs.
It is not known whether tourists will be allowed to visit the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, but there is much else to explore.
The month-long King Abdulaziz Camel Festival takes place annually in Al Sayaheed, north of Riyadh. The rock-hewn tombs of the Nabataean kingdom at Mada'in Saleh are another worthy attraction. They are known as the Petra of Saudi Arabia, yet they remain almost unknown to foreign visitors...