RIYADH, 5 August 2006 — Saudi Arabia’s drive to change its image will not make any headway unless restrictions on tourist visas are relaxed, according to the 14-member group of Harley Davidson enthusiasts who have returned to Riyadh after a 23-day, 8,500-km motorcycle tour of the Kingdom, the Middle East and Europe.
“Europeans still regard Saudi Arabia as the land of oil, camels, a few cars and trouble-makers,” Amer Al-Khalidi, activities coordinator of the Riyadh chapter of the Harley Owners Group, or HOG, an international organization of ‘Hog’ enthusiasts. “They know nothing about our economic or educational progress, not to mention our manufacturing capabilities.”
Al-Khalidi said the Kingdom has a lot to offer in terms of tourist attractions, but that bottlenecks in getting tourist visas are preventing the country from harnessing its tourism potential.
HOG boasts about 6,500 members worldwide, and the organization holds annual meets. The Saudi riders capped their breathtaking rides across the Middle East and Europe by convening at the recent 17th Annual Europe HOG Rally in Killarney, Ireland.
Event organizers honored the Saudis for being the bikers that had taken the longest road trip to get to the rally.
The riders started off in Riyadh, sped through Qassim, Hail and Tabuk before crossing into Jordan. The bikers passed through Damascus, Hums and Latakia in Syria before hitting the route through Turkey. The riders hopped a ferry to Greece.
The bikers then rode up the boot of Italy into Switzerland, then through France. From Dover they rode up to Dublin before arriving at the Killarney rally.
During the journey, the first of its kind for a biker’s club in the Middle East, the group stopped over in the northern Saudi city of Hail to take in the sights. The local Tourism Authority welcomed them. The riders visited Hail’s Al-Shamil Rehabilitation Centre for the Handicapped, Al-Muntazah Mountain; Oraif Palace; and the OKDAH Park Falcon Palace.
“We were hosted and escorted all the way by highway patrol and local police cars from Riyadh to Tabuk, as part of their support to the Saudi bikers’ team,” Al-Khalidi said, adding that Hail would remain etched in his memory as a place renowned not only for its scenic beauty but also for its hospitable people.
“No one knows that the legendary Hatem Tai, known throughout the world for his generosity, hailed from Hail. His spirit seems to be present everywhere. Wherever we went, the people of Hail lavished their hospitality on us,” he said.
The absence of tourism infrastructure in the Kingdom is a problem, said Al-Khalidi, especially the lack of good hotels or even decent furnished apartments. It would be difficult to attract tourists to that historic city, he added, saying that restrictions on the issuance of tourist visas to the Kingdom, such as requiring a sponsor, age restrictions, and obstacles for women visitors make it extremely difficult to promote group tourism in Saudi Arabia.
“During our 8,500-kilometer journey on motor bikes we drove through many countries, including Jordan, Syria, Turkey, Greece, Italy, Britain and Ireland. None of these countries asked us to have a local sponsor, or anything like that,” he said. “There is a tremendous potential for promoting tourism on wheels provided the kinks in the tourism regulations are ironed out.”
The Saudi HOG head said he met with other Arab bikers during the group’s Middle Eastern road trip.
“At the Syrian border at Al-Naseeb we were greeted by the Syrian classic motorcycle club at the group’s Protocol Lounge. We were accompanied by the Protocol vehicles, police cars and an ambulance,” said Al-Khalidi.
In London, the Saudi riders were given a lunch in their honor by Saudi Ambassador to Britain Prince Mohammed ibn Naif before they saddled up for their final leg to Ireland.
