JEDDAH, 29 November 2006 — A pioneering group of tourists from Belgium who recently arrived on a two-week tour to the Kingdom’s historical and modern landmarks expressed their happiness and enthusiasm toward the Saudi and Muslim culture.
“I felt like I have been here before in another life,” said Josee Hendriekx, a member of the group. “It is such an overwhelming experience.”
The rest of the group shared Hendriekx’s enthusiasm, especially during their tour of Jeddah’s historic center, known as Al-Balad. The group toured landmarks of Al-Balad district under the guidance of Samir Komosani, general manager of Platin Luxury Travel Company.
Komosani said the group represents the first from Belgium to arrive in a fully organized package tour of the Kingdom. They also visited Riyadh, the tombs of Madain Saleh, Al-Ula, Abha, Najran and Jeddah.
Group leader Peter Verlinden said people in Belgium are eager to visit Saudi Arabia. The trip, organized by David Fonds, a local cultural organization in Belgium, was overbooked.
Verlinden said that he had written a booklet about Saudi Arabia with essential information that he obtained from his numerous visits to the Kingdom over the past decade.
“We went to the Saudi Embassy in Brussels and told the officials that we were invited by (secretary-general of the Supreme Commission for Tourism) Prince Sultan ibn Salman,” he said, adding that they were well received.
For years, Saudi Arabia has given permission for special groups to come into the country for sightseeing. The package tours, including this one, however, are prohibitively expensive for many travelers and typically stick to an itinerary that prohibits individuals from exploring on their own. The Kingdom has recently committed to opening up to outside tourism, but its current main focus is promoting tourism from within (by encouraging Saudis to visit their country’s many sights rather than travel abroad) as well as encouraging Muslims to come to the Kingdom for more than just pilgrimages. The country is still very difficult to enter for tourism by anyone who hasn’t signed up for a pricey package tour; it will likely be this way for the foreseeable future.
And, as the Belgian group members say: Saudi Arabia’s greatest travel danger is more likely due to traffic than extremism — which isn’t a surprise to anyone who has seen the drivers on Madinah Road, Jeddah’s main thoroughfare. “We know that we are more likely to have a car accident than to face a terrorism act in Saudi Arabia,” said Erwin Maes, a member of the group.
He said Saudi Arabia should be more open to the world. “People were so welcoming and eager to know us,” said Maes. “There should be more openness toward foreign tourism in this country.”
Georges Bulckaert, another member of the group, said that he was very eager to visit Saudi Arabia and experience its distinct culture. He said that he didn’t have second thoughts about joining the group of tourists.
When asked about whether he feared any of the dangers commonly associated with the Kingdom by people who have never experienced it, he seemed surprised at the question and brushed it aside with a simple answer: “Not at all.”
