Saudis and expats from various parts of the Kingdom, as well as foreign tourists, visit Taif, some 200km from Jeddah, not only for its mild winter all year round, but also for its various attractions, including the cable cars.

“The 30-minute cable car ride is for adventure-lovers and thrill seekers,” said Charles B. Tabbu, IT manager at the Saudi Arabian Marketing Agencies and Company (SAMACO) in Jeddah.

“The cable car ride will be something to remember and reason enough for visitors to keep going back to Taif and try the cable cars again,” he said.

“It’s safe. Once inside the cable car, you’ll see that safety precautions have been thoroughly observed by the manufacturers,” he said. “It is a two-kilometer climb up the mountain.”

He also said that the cable cars have established a reputation for safety and reliability over the years since they were installed to attract tourists to Taif, also referred to as the “summer capital of Saudi Arabia” and “city of roses.”

The cable ride lasts for 30 minutes.

“As the cable car climbs up toward the mountain that looms in the distance, a mixture of excitement and euphoria grip you,” said Tabbu, who received his computer engineering degree from the Central Philippine University. “A few minutes into the climb, you’ll be held spellbound by the captivating scenery wherever you look around you.”

Even families with small children ride them.

“While the cable car smoothly climb the height, you feel like as if you are in the Grand Canyon in the United States,” he said.

However, Jhay R. Olanca, a nurse at a hospital in Jeddah, said that visitors should make sure that they don’t have a heart condition before riding the cable cars.

“Extreme excitement could trigger a heart attack, so visitors riding the cable cars should make sure that they don’t have a heart condition,” he said. “A few minutes of excitement should not be reason enough to throw caution to the winds.”

Visitors can instead try a train ride, which offers another kind of excitement.

“The train ride is an alternative to the cable car ride for visitors who heights. You also see breathtaking scenery,” he said.