Until very recently, the city of Taif has been the main Saudi summer resort attracting visitors from all over the Kingdom. People who loved to drive along the winding roads to escape the sweltering summer heat would enjoy the fresh, cool breeze as they ascend to the city. Taif served as the official summer seat with successive Saudi governments moving into the city during the hot season. It also served as the headquarters of the armed forces. Alas, no more.
Gradually, the situation began to change and Taif eventually lost its position as the favorite summer seat of the government. With the exception of the judiciary that still has offices in Taif, the city located 5,600 feet above sea level lost much of its glamour.
Over the years Taif began to grow both in physical size and population. Many citizens from other parts of the Kingdom built luxury villas and flats to use during summer and investors built five-star hotels in addition to numerous recreation facilities at the cost of over SR1 billion.
The city has all the ingredients to turn into a major tourist attraction; a pleasant climate, verdant surroundings, fertile soil that allows the growth of all kinds of fruit, lush parks and exotic birds and wildlife. It also has an integrated and well-maintained network of services.
The main problem facing Taif is the difficulty of access by road. The highway linking it with the holy city of Makkah and the southern provinces of the Kingdom, Makkah-Taif-Baha-Abha Highway, is a one-lane road that needs to be widened. Unless this is done it will continue to remain an obstacle preventing the city from developing into a major tourism center.
There is also the Aqabat Al-Mahmoudiya Road linking Taif with the Red Sea coast. When completed, it would encourage the residents of Jeddah, particularly the foreign residents, to visit Taif. One of the most important projects needed by the city right now is transforming its regional airport into an international one. This would achieve two objectives at the same time; the airport would serve as a backup for Jeddah airport receiving pilgrims coming for the annual Haj and would encourage tourists from Gulf States to come to Taif.
Any new airport to be built in Jeddah would take at least five years to complete. If these projects were fulfilled, pilgrims landing at Taif will reach Makkah faster than those landing at Jeddah airport. Operating direct flights from Gulf states to Taif would encourage more visitors from those countries to visit the area.
