So the young Prince is creating a 125 mile long Tourist zone along the Red Sea. It's going to be a State within a State situation, with it's own more relaxed visitor friendly laws. Anyone have any inside info, how's the diving, the infrastructure/accessability etc. I've read they wish to encourage foriegn investment, does anyone know it's through ownership or partnership? Mostly just curious, but.....
Saudi Arabian Tourist Zone?
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I'm in Saudi Arabia on business right now. Almost no tourist infrastructure. There are hotels but little to no sight seeing or activities here in the capital. As far as I can tell all the guests and staff of my hotel, a Holiday Inn, are male.
Getting a visa is difficult - there is no such thing as a "Tourist" visa currently though they plan to introduce one soon. The application has several interesting questions including "Religion" for which there are several answers that will get you denied entry.
I tried to work out a bit of Red Sea diving while I was here but ran into many difficulties doing so and was unable to make it work. My worksite being in the capital an hour flight from the red sea didn't help.
Getting a visa is difficult - there is no such thing as a "Tourist" visa currently though they plan to introduce one soon. The application has several interesting questions including "Religion" for which there are several answers that will get you denied entry.
I tried to work out a bit of Red Sea diving while I was here but ran into many difficulties doing so and was unable to make it work. My worksite being in the capital an hour flight from the red sea didn't help.
Dan
Contributor
I was in Saudi Arabia for 3 week job assignment last October- November. I dove in Jeddah with Desert Sea Divers. It’s better than Caribbean, but not as good as Indonesia. Once is enough. I rather go diving in Fujairah, UAE, instead.
I may try to dive in Yanbu next time.
I may try to dive in Yanbu next time.
Saudi have gone on about this tourism thing for years. I was there from 2000-2010, they were going on about it then. There's even a University which provides tourism courses down in Abha. I believe that it was possible at one time to come in on a pre arranged package to dive, but you were restricted to not leaving your hotel other than to dive, I cant imagine many people ever did it, I always assumed it was one of those things Saudi say is possible, but in practice is almost impossible.
I was based in the NE of the country so never got a chance to do the Red Sea coast. Searcaigh is the one who can give you info about diving on the West coast, he has a lot of experience there. Hopefully he'll see this thread and contribute.
There is good and interesting archaeology in Saudi. Riyadh is not fun, but does have Masmak fortress which can kill 20 minutes. I've never heard anyone say anything bad about Abha in the south. At the moment tourism is aimed at locals or those already in country and you need your own transport to get around. I believe you no longer need permission to visit archaeological sites, this is something I spent several days in Riyadh trying to do back in around 2002/3. I never did get the permit! Movement is much freer now than when I left in 2010,The west coast does have some resort type places already. Kind of condominiums. Its possible to rent placers out, but like everything in Saudi its aimed at families.
I lived in Fujairah recently too! I always assumed the Red Sea coast would be better than Fuj.
I was based in the NE of the country so never got a chance to do the Red Sea coast. Searcaigh is the one who can give you info about diving on the West coast, he has a lot of experience there. Hopefully he'll see this thread and contribute.
There is good and interesting archaeology in Saudi. Riyadh is not fun, but does have Masmak fortress which can kill 20 minutes. I've never heard anyone say anything bad about Abha in the south. At the moment tourism is aimed at locals or those already in country and you need your own transport to get around. I believe you no longer need permission to visit archaeological sites, this is something I spent several days in Riyadh trying to do back in around 2002/3. I never did get the permit! Movement is much freer now than when I left in 2010,The west coast does have some resort type places already. Kind of condominiums. Its possible to rent placers out, but like everything in Saudi its aimed at families.
I lived in Fujairah recently too! I always assumed the Red Sea coast would be better than Fuj.
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Seriously Dan
I lived in Saudi between 1986 to 1997 and had some amazing dives all along the Saudi Red Sea coast. In some places it was incredible and in others not so much. 20m vis minimum and fantastic corals etc., outside of the main inhabited areas, although some of the diving in Jeddah itself was pretty good.
We never managed to get out to the group of islands at the mouth of the Gulf of Aqaba but the shore diving around that area was pretty good just north of Dhuba.
Dan
Contributor
Seriously Dan
I lived in Saudi between 1986 to 1997 and had some amazing dives all along the Saudi Red Sea coast. In some places it was incredible and in others not so much. 20m vis minimum and fantastic corals etc., outside of the main inhabited areas, although some of the diving in Jeddah itself was pretty good.
We never managed to get out to the group of islands at the mouth of the Gulf of Aqaba but the shore diving around that area was pretty good just north of Dhuba.
I must have come in a bad day. I saw hardly any big fishes, no shark, just some little fishes & clams here & there, as if the place had been fished out. Even visibility wasn’t that good.
Dan
Contributor
Here are some of the fish & coral I saw in Jeddah (Chicken Wreck, Table Mountain & Apo).
Your vis looks fine Dan, a lot better than you'll find around UAE.
Big stuff is hit and miss though, nothing is guaranteed anywhere. When I lived in Jeddah the during the last 7 years we did lots of exploratory dives up and down the coast with lots of shore diving.
Friends of mine had boats and they had some neat dive locations that were off the beaten track and this was before GPS was available. Very few commercial boat ops back then too.
I last dived in Jeddah about 5 years ago and stayed at the Sheraton Beach Resort North Obhur, very little had changed in the reef, it was still really good, and the night dives were awesome.
Big stuff is hit and miss though, nothing is guaranteed anywhere. When I lived in Jeddah the during the last 7 years we did lots of exploratory dives up and down the coast with lots of shore diving.
Friends of mine had boats and they had some neat dive locations that were off the beaten track and this was before GPS was available. Very few commercial boat ops back then too.
I last dived in Jeddah about 5 years ago and stayed at the Sheraton Beach Resort North Obhur, very little had changed in the reef, it was still really good, and the night dives were awesome.
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