The tourists, who arrived by Crystal Serenity, an international tourist cruise ship, also visited the Abdul Rauf Khalil Museum, the Corniche, the camel market in south Jeddah and the fish market. They are accompanied by guides who speak different languages.
The group includes tourists from the United States, Canada, Mexico, Peru, the United Kingdom, Spain, Greece, Holland, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and the Philippines.
The tourists expressed their surprise at the tremendous progress achieved by Saudi Arabia and the colorful mix of old and new cultures in many parts of Balad where they saw modern skyscrapers standing shoulder to shoulder with old buildings.
Anna from Athens, who came with her husband, said she was impressed by the wonderful scenes at the fish market, which she visited Tuesday morning and saw a variety of Red Sea fish.
"I am visiting Saudi Arabia for the first time. I would like to visit a number of historical places in the Kingdom, especially Madain Saleh," said Anna, who wanted to purchase different souvenirs such as incense, henna and decorative items.
Australian Erich Krammer, who is a tour official, said Saudi Arabia has a great deal of tourism potential. He expressed his hope that Crystal Serenity would open an office in the Kingdom in order to bring more tourists. "Soon after arriving in the Kingdom, I purchased a thobe, a ghotra and egal," he told Arab News. He admired the simple but comfortable Saudi dress.
Emery Lendvay, an American from Ohio, said he had been looking for an opportunity to visit Saudi Arabia. "I joined this group in order to know more about this country. I now have a totally different picture of Saudi Arabia," he said. He found Jeddah to be a beautiful city. He described the Corniche as an open museum where one can see several sculptures along the way. Lendvay expressed his wish to ride on a camel during the trip.
Another American tourist from Texas said she was impressed by the scenes in Balad, a beautiful blend of the modern and the classic where glass facades of modern skyscrapers rub shoulders with historical buildings with the distinct horizontally embedded wooden beams. She said she was happy to wear the abaya, the black gown worn by women in Saudi Arabia when they go out of their homes.
Khatar Chaaya, general manager of Alireza Travel & Tours, said his company had made many preparations for the group, which he claimed was the largest in the Kingdom's history. "We have arranged 40 luxury coaches from Al-Jazirah company to transport the tourists to different tourist attractions in the country."
Maarouf Hussein, program coordinator at Alireza Travel & Tours, said the tourists had been divided into 18 groups, each having 35 to 40 members and a guide in order to facilitate their movement.
According to SCTA sources, 192 tourist groups have so far visited the Kingdom from different parts of the world since the start of the program.
