Saudi Arabia is finally shaking up the status quo! The kingdom has for the first time just announced a decision to become more open to tourism and plans in the future to develop more of its archaeological sites. It’s yet another part of their ambitious “Vision 2030” plan, which sees the nation aiming to develop its economy away from oil.
Now, there are plans to make the country an appealing tourist spot as well, perhaps even rivaling that of Jordan with their ancient city of Petra. Certainly, the Kingdom has its own host of ancient wonders on display; such as the cities of Al Ula or Mada’in Saleh, which is similar to Petra in that it too was built up from solid rock. Though that’s not all; future plans include the opening of 18 new museums and 17 centers for artists of all types providing a platform for them to grow and sell works.
It still remains to be seen how effectively Saudi Arabia can shed it’s global image as an ultraconservative oil nation, though this is certainly a start.
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