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Holidays in Saudi Arabia

Sirona

Hindu Wannabe
I've been seeing a lot of internet ads for holidays in Saudi Arabia lately, showing a man in Western clothing visiting what seems to be a very green corner of Saudi Arabia.

My question is: Assumed you had the necessary cash, would you like to spend your holidays in a country with a fundamentalist religious state order [Or in a country like North Korea, if you like that better? I don't want to be accused of being prejudiced against Muslims].

Why / why not?
 

Viker

Häxan
No. Saudi Arabia can do checks on tourists. The whole transgender Satanic/Diabolatry witchcraft thing isn't going to go over well with them. And they offer me nothing I can't find in Ireland or Japan. So, no again.

Here would be a Saudi customs officer's reaction (mostly to the transgender thing, at first):" :)o_O:mad:WTF!?GTFO!"

My reaction to their reaction:" :):confused::cool:yolo... bye"

North Korea would be extremely boring. Seriously, there is nothing to do and if there is anything to do I can't because I'm an American (potential spy/saboteur).
 

The Sum of Awe

Brought to you by the moment that spacetime began.
No. Saudi Arabia can do checks on tourists. The whole transgender Satanic/Diabolatry witchcraft thing isn't going to go over well with them. And they offer me nothing I can't find in Ireland or Japan. So, no again.

Here would be a Saudi customs officer's reaction (mostly to the transgender thing, at first):" :)o_O:mad:WTF!?GTFO!"

My reaction to their reaction:" :):confused::cool:yolo... bye"

North Korea would be extremely boring. Seriously, there is nothing to do and if there is anything to do I can't because I'm an American (potential spy/saboteur).
I feel bad for all North Koreans. They are trapped there.
 

RestlessSoul

Well-Known Member
Probably more fundamentalists in the USA than there are in Saudi, but that wouldn't put me off visiting Alabama or Texas.
 

Viker

Häxan
Probably more fundamentalists in the USA than there are in Saudi, but that wouldn't put me off visiting Alabama or Texas.
They don't execute people, legally, for being LGBTQ, pagan, atheist or for practicing witchcraft... even if a few might want that, most don't. Most are laid back fundies with no absolutist regime to exact harsh religious law.
 

Viker

Häxan
Done that, scary.
Texas, not so bad. Alabama, has it's moments. I was visiting family on the New Mexico/Texas border, went to an awesome metal concert in Amarillo. Great time. New Mexico was sweet. I was brought up in the South so there was no culture shock and I am used to American flags every 3 meters. :p
 

ChristineM

"Be strong", I whispered to my coffee.
Premium Member
Texas, not so bad. Alabama, has it's moments. I was visiting family on the New Mexico/Texas border, went to an awesome metal concert in Amarillo. Great time. New Mexico was sweet. I was brought up in the South so there was no culture shock and I am used to American flags every 3 meters. :p

Those people speak bible and carry guns. It may have been psychosomatic but i was scared
 

Viker

Häxan
Those people speak bible and carry guns. It may have been psychosomatic but i was scared
I speak non-Bible and carry bows, even guns sometimes, mostly bows. I sorta blend in around the Bible Belt. I think many of the locals get a kick out of it when I ride a motorcycle carrying a crossbow. It's like, to them, I am Daryl Dixon only prettier.
 

exchemist

Veteran Member
I've been seeing a lot of internet ads for holidays in Saudi Arabia lately, showing a man in Western clothing visiting what seems to be a very green corner of Saudi Arabia.

My question is: Assumed you had the necessary cash, would you like to spend your holidays in a country with a fundamentalist religious state order [Or in a country like North Korea, if you like that better? I don't want to be accused of being prejudiced against Muslims].

Why / why not?
Having spent considerable time in KSA on business, I don't feel an urge to go there on holiday. The place that really is worth a trip is Oman. Yemen would be, but for the civil war. I have been on holiday in Jordan and that was great: Jerash and Petra, the ruins of the Crusader castle at Kerak, the Dead Sea.....

But I think the notion that one should evaluate the politics of the regime before deciding whether to have a holiday in a country is ridiculous. (A friend of mine went to N. Korea on holiday, just to see what a real, live Stalinist regime was like.)
 

Secret Chief

nirvana is samsara
I've been seeing a lot of internet ads for holidays in Saudi Arabia lately, showing a man in Western clothing visiting what seems to be a very green corner of Saudi Arabia.

My question is: Assumed you had the necessary cash, would you like to spend your holidays in a country with a fundamentalist religious state order [Or in a country like North Korea, if you like that better? I don't want to be accused of being prejudiced against Muslims].

Why / why not?

Certainly not. Why? It's a disgusting country.

"On 23 April 2019, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia carried out a mass execution of 37 imprisoned civilians who had been convicted, 21 on the basis of confessions allegedly obtained under coercion and torture, for terrorism-related allegations in six provinces in the country. Fourteen of the people executed had been convicted in relation to their participation in the 2011–12 Saudi Arabian protests in Qatif, mostly on the basis of torture-induced confessions. The executions were carried out by beheading and two of the bodies were left on public display."

- 2019 Saudi Arabia mass execution - Wikipedia
 
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RestlessSoul

Well-Known Member
A friend, a journalist, moved to Alabama around 15 years ago, after marrying a local woman. Says he still can’t get used to everyone carrying guns.

You might have more chance of getting executed for apostasy in Saudi, but you certainly have more chance of getting shot by an irate drunken local in Alabama. However, as Lynyrd Skynyrd pointed out some years ago, “there’s good people in Alabama too”. As I’m sure there are in Saudi Arabia. In fact most of the Arabs I’ve met in my life, and most Americans too, come to that, have been unfailingly polite.
 

Debater Slayer

Vipassana
Staff member
Premium Member
Having spent considerable time in KSA on business, I don't feel an urge to go there on holiday. The place that really is worth a trip is Oman. Yemen would be, but for the civil war. I have been on holiday in Jordan and that was great: Jerash and Petra, the ruins of the Crusader castle at Kerak, the Dead Sea.....

But I think the notion that one should evaluate the politics of the regime before deciding whether to have a holiday in a country is ridiculous. (A friend of mine went to N. Korea on holiday, just to see what a real, live Stalinist regime was like.)

I lived in KSA for 19 years, and I have to agree it isn't the most attractive tourist destination. I could probably even visit again if I wanted; I would know the ropes enough to stay under the radar and out of trouble anyway.

That said, there have been some horror stories of tourists or visitors getting jailed or otherwise troubled in other countries specifically due to authoritarian regimes, so I think it's understandable that some would evaluate a country's regime before visiting. For example:

UAE pardons Norwegian woman jailed in Dubai after reporting rape

U.S. student held in North Korea died of oxygen starved brain: coroner

I would always read about the laws and customs in a country before visiting to minimize my chances of getting in trouble, but sometimes such dictatorial regimes with no respect for human rights or due process can be unpredictable.
 

sun rise

The world is on fire
Premium Member
My no-go places are authoritarian countries such as Russia (chance of falling out a window), China (I speak my mind), DPRK, Saudi Arabia and the rest.

I've had a thing about TX since Kennedy was murdered there. As far as the Autocracy of Florida goes, I don't want to be arrested for who I support.

I don't have any issues with Bible areas - I can quote the Bible to prove my points.
 

exchemist

Veteran Member
I lived in KSA for 19 years, and I have to agree it isn't the most attractive tourist destination. I could probably even visit again if I wanted; I would know the ropes enough to stay under the radar and out of trouble anyway.

That said, there have been some horror stories of tourists or visitors getting jailed or otherwise troubled in other countries specifically due to authoritarian regimes, so I think it's understandable that some would evaluate a country's regime before visiting. For example:

UAE pardons Norwegian woman jailed in Dubai after reporting rape

U.S. student held in North Korea died of oxygen starved brain: coroner

I would always read about the laws and customs in a country before visiting to minimize my chances of getting in trouble, but sometimes such dictatorial regimes with no respect for human rights or due process can be unpredictable.
Oh sure, risks to personal safety must be evaluated of course.
 
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