Tourism in Saudi Arabia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Al-Bahah, Saudi Arabia

Hafar Al-Batin, Saudi Arabia

Although tourism in Saudi Arabia is largely based around religious pilgrimage, there is growth in the leisure tourism sector. According to theWorld Bank, approximately 14.3 million people visited Saudi Arabia in 2012, making it the world’s 19th-most-visited country.^[1] Potential tourist areas include the Hijaz and Sarawat Mountains, Red Sea diving and a number of ancient ruins.

In December 2013, Saudi Arabia announced its intention to begin issuing tourist visas for the first time in its history. Council of Ministersentrusted the Supreme Commission for Tourism and Antiquities with visa issuing on the basis of certain regulations approved by the Ministries of Interior and Foreign Affairs.^[2]

Contents

  [hide] 

• 1 Museums
• 2 World Heritage Sites
• 3 Religious tourism
• 4 Restrictions and security
• 5 See also
• 6 References
• 7 External links

Museums[edit]

• The National Heritage and History Museum in Riyadh
• Museum of Buraidah
• Dammam Historical Museum (Arabic: متحف الدمام الإقليمي )
• Dammam Public Library
• Dhahran Exhibition Centre (Arabic: مركز معارض الظهران)
• Folk Village
• National Museum

Dammam National Museum is located on the 4th floor of the Dammam Public Library, opposite the Muhammad bin Fahd Stadium on the cross lane from the Dammam-Khobar Highway in Al Toubaishi district. A must for visitors to the region, the museum focuses on the country's history, culture, and inhabitants through displays of relics and remnants of handicrafts.