JEDDAH, 9 May 2004 — Saudi Arabian Airlines plans to expand its “Discover Saudi Arabia” program which was introduced seven years ago. So far some 5,000 international visitors have seen the program’s historical sites; the plan envisages including new attractions such as caves, desert safaris and areas of volcanic activity. The program offers seven to 22-day trips, covering the main centers as well as Madain Saleh.
Abdul Rahman Abdullah Al-Attas, senior specialist, marketing sales program development, told Arab News here that diving, which was offered under the program last year, has become popular. Some of the best diving sites are off the coast of Jeddah where there are plenty of shipwrecks to explore. The area’s reefs include Shib Al-Kabir, Misrari Reef, Abu Aaramish, and Abu Madafi.
“Here there is deep clarity, blazing color and active fauna. Life abounds in bank after bank of exuberant coral structures, second only to those of the Great Barrier Reef in extent and perhaps exceeding it in splendor,” said Jacques Cousteau about the Red Sea.
Saudi Arabia has the longest coastline on the Red Sea, stretching from the Gulf of Aqaba to the Yemeni border, and contains as many unspoiled reefs as the rest of the Red Sea combined. The water is so crystal clear and the sunlight so bright that it penetrates to unbelievable depths. Reef-building corals are found at greater depths than almost anywhere in the world.
Italians seem to prefer diving packages with 13 in the first group last year. The numbers have increased to three to four a month, with eight to 32 people in each group. Of the nearly 5,000 tourists who have arrived with the DSA program, 1,700 have been Japanese, who are said to be interested in both historical sites and diving. A group of 24 will soon arrive from Frankfurt.
Al-Attas said this year, under DSA, visitors will come from the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Finland, Sweden, Norway and Belgium. Thus far they have come from Japan, Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Denmark and the United States.
New brochures in English, French, German, Italian and Japanese have been published.
