Saudi vacationers going to Egypt are not concerned about the lack of security on the streets and the fact that it may not be safe. For many Saudis, especially homeowners, Egypt is still a favorite holiday destination.
Some Saudis told Arab News they were eager to visit the famous Tahrir Square, which was the focal point of the Jan. 25 movement.
Naif Al-Fakieh, a Saudi copywriter at international advertising agency, was a frequent traveler to Egypt before the revolution. He is planning to spend the spring vacation this time in Jeddah.
“I have no problem going to Egypt because Egypt is safe all the time. If there are any accidents or attacks, they are isolated incidents and not widespread,” said Naif. He said that before he takes his family to Egypt in summer, he would go alone first to check the situation.
“Sure I will go to Egypt during the presidential elections whenever they are because I want to witness and share this moment with Egyptians. I love to go to Egypt and I’ll never regret doing this.”
Saudi businesswoman Amira Al-Jaffrey visits Egypt every year. She was planning to go after the protests ended but decided it was too soon.
“I’m not afraid of the security situation because to me Egypt is a safe place. I was planning to go after these events, but I was afraid I would see bad changes in my favorite place,” she said. Al-Jaffrey added that she would go to Egypt next summer.
Ahmed Al-Sayed, an employee at a private company, said he never visited Egypt before but this vacation he would go to see the historical changes that have happened there.
“I usually spend my short vacation in Dubai or Beirut, but this year I’ll go to Egypt,” he said.
He added that he would go with his family, who he said were not afraid to go. He wanted to visit Tahrir Square and hopefully stand next to an army tank to take pictures.
Saudi woman Rabab Mahmoud decided to go to Dubai this vacation because she was not sure about the security in Egypt. She said that she would go to Egypt only after the situation becomes stable.
Fawzi Mahrous, a general manager at a travel agency, confirmed that there was no decline in the number of tickets booked to Egypt from Saudis compared to last year.
“Everything is normal. The indications are that there will be no decline and the same also goes for summer vacation bookings,” said Mahrous.
Mohammed Al-Sharif, general manager at a travel agency in Jeddah, also confirmed that there was plenty of demand from Saudis wanting to travel to Egypt. “Spring vacation bookings are all filled up and there are many Saudis and Egyptians going to Egypt for the one week vacation,” he said.
