Arab Spring impacts Saudis’ summer plans

Many Saudi families used to head to Lebanon, Syria, Egypt and Tunisia to spend their summer vacations, The Arab Spring had a big impact on what Saudis percieve as attractive destinations. Now most Saudis will travel to Dubai, Europe, Malaysia and Turkey for their summer vacation.
Mohammed Tameem, a 53-year-old marketeer, owns an apartment in Tunis and has been spending all his vacations there. “I cannot afford to spend my vacation anywhere else,” he said. “So I really wish Tunisia would settle down before summer vacation starts. My wife and children would love to go to Tunis to spend Ramadan there,” he added.
Exploring the Kingdom is an option to some Saudis and seeing what the country has to offer. “I have never been to Jeddah. Now that the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities has many festivals in Jeddah, I’m not worried about the entertainment, I’m sure my family will have a blast,” said Bandar Abdulhafeez, a 41-year-old businessman living in Alkhobar. “Visiting Jeddah has always been an option, but my family and I thought that it would be better to go to Cairo than staying in our home land,” he added.
“We are excited to see Jeddah for the fist time. We will support local tourism and will experience it first hand,” said Abdulhafeez.
Europe is always an attraction for Saudi people; most of them meet there every summer in the same cities. “My summer always starts with Marbella for three weeks then Beirut for two weeks. I have been doing this ever since I was a child,” said Salwa Hejazi, a 29-year-old businesswoman. “I am really sad to miss on Beirut this summer because it’s where I meet my friends from other Arab countries,” she added.
“People have been sending out messages to me saying that Beirut is not safe to spend the vacation this summer. I will wait until the time to make the reservation and make sure if it’s safe. Then I will decide if I should go or not,” said Hejazi.
Owning an apartment in Cairo is the only reason for 48-year-old banker Mohammed Al-Jehani to spend his vacation there. “I spend every vacation in Egypt because I have my parents’ apartment in one of the busiest areas in Cairo,” he said. “Knowing that I do not have to think about hotels and how expensive they are is just a relief to me. I hear people talking about how expensive hotels get during summer and it makes me pity them,” he added.
“This summer, I will also head to Cairo because I’m not sure if it’s a bad idea. If it gets bad outside, I can always lock myself and my family in the apartment and find indoor activities to enjoy,” said Al-Jehani. Thirty-two-year-old businessman Mohammed Akram said he had planned to visit his mother in Syria this summer but his plan was canceled. “It’s been a while since I visited Syria and I miss my family there. My mother is Syrian and she lives there with her sisters now,” he said. “I wanted to take my wife and children to meet my mother’s side of the family, but this plan was canceled. I guess I’m buying my mother a ticket to make her come here instead,” he added.
Not all Saudis feel deterred by the Arab Spring unrest in neighboring countries. “I do not believe Saudis or other tourists should change their vacation plans because of political issues. The people who live in Egypt and Lebanon say it’s safe and they are fully functional,” said Tarik Elwan, a 34-year-old lawyer. “I am taking my wife and two children to Cairo and I know I’m going to have a blast there. I don’t believe what the media is saying about security in Egypt, I only believe what my Egyptian friends are telling me,” he added.
Beirut is not out of the picture, said Nazeerah Dakheil, a 85-year-old grandmother. “I live in Beirut and return to Jeddah four times a year. I won’t come back during the summer because it’s the best time of the year here,” she said. “I have seen the preparations for the summer in the streets and we’ll have some entertaining festivals and activities for tourists. It doesn’t make sense for me to go back to Saudi where nothing is happening,” she added. Dakheil said that she had invited her children and grandchildren to visit Beirut’s summer festival with her.
Dubai has been on the rise as an attractive destination during summer. “Dubai is the best option there after Beirut, I love going there. The city has plenty to offer from shopping, entertainment and other activities for my family,” said Fatima Sabri, a 22-year-old college student. “We should be extra careful with politics and we never know what’s going to happen next in the Arab Spring. I think it’s best to stay close to home,” she added.
Choosing to spend the vacation outside the Arab countries is the smart thing to do, said Elham Al-Houti, a mother of two. “My husband and I calculated how much we would be spending in Dubai and compared it to Istanbul. We found that we would be spending the exact same thing,” she said. “This made us decide to shift our vacation to Europe and we expect to have more fun there. It will also give my daughters a chance to see Istanbul for the first time,” she added.
“Arab countries are best visited anytime of the year, except in the summer,” said 26-year-old stay-at-home mother Alaa Ahdal.
“The best words to describe the MENA region in the summer are: Very hot, crowded and expensive,” she said. “You will bump into everyone you know. So what’s the use of a vacation when you’re still meeting the people you already know?” she added.
“I believe the best thing to do in the summer is lay by the pool with your kids and host BBQ parties with your family right at home,” said Ahdal.
Most Saudi tourists are heading to Malaysia, Turkey and Dubai, said Adnan Ramadan, manager of Destination Adventure Travel Agency in Jeddah. “The numbers of Saudi travelers to these countries has gone up by 40 percent comparing it to the last two years,” he said. “I believe that people are avoiding Arab counties this summer because of the political issues. They are shifting their vacations to Europe and Asia to stay on the safe side, he added.
The agency has witnessed many cancelations to Beirut. “People who came to the agency months ago to book hotels and tickets to Lebanon have come again to refund their tickets, fearing the instability there,” said Ramadan. “The tickets to Syria, Lebanon and Egypt are now very cheap, but people won’t book any,” he added.
“The only people who came to the agency to book tickets to those countries are the people who carry those nationalities and want to spend their vacation back home, ” said Ramadan.