Saudi Arabia - intrigued?
Posted Tuesday, February 13, 2007, 6:38 PM by Lonely Planet
Frances Linzee Gordon has just completed an unprecedented research assignment in Saudi Arabia for Lonely Planet's forthcoming guide to the Arabian Peninsula. As the first person ever to be granted a visa to visit the Kingdom as an independent tourist, she kept a diary of her adventures. In the first of eight blog posts, Frances reveals the secret of visa success.
Saudi Arabia. The world's last great forbidden country. The toughest territory in the world for women to travel in...
As I sat before my suitcase pondering my packing, my mind began to replay at random some of the things I had heard about this mysterious realm.
A kingdom closed to outsiders. Penetrable in the past only to the bravest and the boldest such as Burton, Thesiger and Lawrence, who risked life and limb to travel there.
Could I bring my CDs, and DVDs? And the books I had bought on the Kingdom - were they all banned?
For centuries the holy cities of Islam were forbidden to Christians on pain of death. Even today, the country's an emblem of everything inexplicable to the West: the Middle East, Islam, oil and terror...
My jewellery - did I have any crosses? I'd have to leave them behind. And where could I buy an abeyya? Would I face arrest if I arrived uncovered and without?
I sat back: it was impossible to imagine myself there. Impossible even to believe that I had in hand at last the notoriously elusive visa, so famously difficult to get. How had I got it anyway?
'No chance', the ambassador's secretary had said with a smirk when I asked her to rate my chances. 'Not a hope in hell!'
I had set foot inside the Saudi embassy so many times that the security guards now knew me and greeted me, grinning, as 'First Secretary'. I had sent legions of letters, had had dozens of meetings, and countless telephone conversations. Accompanying my application were work references, personal references, character references, even moral references.
Then, early one cold winter's day, I decided it was time to change tack and to set in motion Plan D. Nearly four months had passed since first darkening the doorway of the embassy and I seemed no nearer my goal. Reaching for my address book, I sat down to send an email.
Six and a half hours later, the telephone rang. It was the ambassador's secretary: 'We are ringing to inform you, Ms Frances, that your visa is now ready for collection.'
Waasita. I had just learnt my first - and possibly most important - Saudi word and lesson. Contacts.
Labels: Frances Linzee Gordon in Saudi Arabia, Middle East
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16 Comments:
As a female American writer who lives and works in Saudi Arabia, I remember asking myself the exact same questions before I got here. My situation was a little different - I came in on a resident visa - so the process was even more lengthy, believe it or not! I've come to love KSA, and hope that more visitors take the time and effort to secure tourist visas.As for wasta - geez I could write a book! lol
So tourist visas do exist? You can go there without working or just in transit?
Help me! Saudi Arabia is a dream of mine!
Wow, this is such an interesting topic! How wonderful to broaden your mind and go to a place where all the rules are different. The best feeling is when you get there, and see the similarities between people of vastly different cultures! More people should do this!
thank you
i had very good time to be your guide in sadia arabia.
hatem jameel
Hi sand gets in my eyes,
Thanks for the posting. Great to know that Western women can live and work in Saudi happily. Hope you continue to enjoy your time there.
Hi Tim C,
Yes, tourist visas do now exist. The conditions are quite complicated and lengthy, so I'm going to quote from the book - it should give you all the information you need:
"Over the last six years, the Saudi authorities have started tentatively to issue tourist visas, but only for those willing to travel as part of a group (minimum four people) organised by a recognised tour company (including dive companies).
Issued under the sponsorship of Saudia airlines (under its ‘Discover Saudi Arabia’ program), you can find the list of approved international and local Saudi tour companies who can arrange the visas at: www.saudiairlines.com/tours/discover saudiarabia.jsp. It takes 14 days from the date of request to issue a tourist visa.
Note also that passports must be valid for a minimum of six months, and women under 30 years old must be accompanied by their husband or brother (who must also arrive and leave Saudi Arabia at the same time).
Men and women are only allowed to travel together (and granted a visa to do so) if they are a) married (with an official marriage licence) or b) form part of a group.
It is not permitted for an unmarried couple to travel alone together in Saudi Arabia (and doing so runs the risk of apprehension). Regarding the tourist visa, two couples could in effect travel together, but only if they came as `individuals in a group'.
One local tour company that can offer advice and has an excellent reputation locally is Sadd Al-Samallaghi Est based in Jeddah (www.samallaghi.com)."
Good luck, Tim, hope you realise your dream!
Hi Jenndz,
Thanks for the posting. Thoroughly agree: I think travel is so important for this reason - to broaden your mind and widen your perspective on the world. And particularly in an area like the Middle East, where so much misinformation exists and so many stereotypes abound.
I have noticed my own perceptions and ideas altering dramatically over the course of my travels, and just wish that more people could and would travel.
I feel very fortunate for the opportunties I have had, and take every opportunity to encourage others too.
Hi `Anonymous'!
Yes, the secret is now out. The wonderful, Hatem Jameel (aka "Abdullah"), has now revealed himself!
As I wrote in the "Thanks" page in the book (in my opinion, the most important page in the whole guidebook):
"...To Hatem A Jameel, the best guide/driver/bank/bodyguard/pretend-husband I ever had, and whose great knowledge, hard work, loyalty, patience and sense of humour made each long day a joy."
Hatem, I mean every word. I owe you everything. Thank you again from the bottom of my heart for all your great help. So that you know, I change names only to protect people (so that they are never held responsible for my own opinions and thoughts).
We will stay in touch, and please send my regards to your wonderful family (who gave me that fantastic lunch I refer to in the last posting!). God bless.
Hi frances,i was touched by your answers to hatem comment(specially pretend-husband part),cos i argued with him over your beuty where he explained how pretty you are but...his country reputation was of a paramount value to him than anything in the world to try any thing stupid.
I'm proud of you hatem and i'm gratefull to you frances to tell a fair story of my country.
the saudi people should be ashamed of themselves. how can you accept such a government and system that lashes a young girl because she was gang raped. the rapists only got a light punishment. if a woman travels in a car with men who are unrelated does this mean the men have the right to abuse her. dont travel to saudi, boycott the place.
Hi Frances, I have just bought the LP book with your Saudi section in it as I am currently in the process of trying to get a visa to visit Saudi on business. Hopefully it will come thru. I too have had the thought of whether I need to have the abeyya etc on arrival in Saudi? I may get the chance to pick one up in Iran where I will be for a couple of days before Saudi. My understanding is I'll need the head scarf in Iran anyway. Would appreciate your advice. Cheers.
Last year four french tourist where shot and ki9lled outside Meddina on their way back from Medain Salah. Saudi is a interesting country, but their support of terrorist is well known. Caution is the key word while in Saudi. This author was protected by the ministry of the interior who wanted her to write a favorable article about the Kingdom. Read the book "Paramedic to the Prince" it was written by an American who spent ten years in that country. Tells the good, bad and the ugly. People that spend a little time there dont see the real Saudi Arabia. Just the version the goverment want you to see.
I live in kuwait with saudi to the south. Like all countries in the middle east the people of saudi live their lives day to day just as we do in the west. I have taught their children and always have been treated with respect. i would love to visit and want to thank you for the info on the tours.
My Dad (a doctor) lived and worked in Saudi for many years in the nineties, so I went on a couple of long holidays there. It's definitely an interesting place, and to my innocent eyes it never really seemed like a culture shock at all - with big shopping malls and familiar fast-food joints.
I remember travelling into the mountains and on the 'Christian bypass' around Mecca, carefully constructed so as not to reveal even a glimpse of the place.
As girls with light blonde hair, we certainly got a lot of attention, but I'm not sure how I'd feel going back as an adult female. While my stepmum was able to work, she couldn't drive, and outside the freedoms of the complex they lived in, life wasn't always much fun.
I'm rely proud of my big brother Hatem and my country too, it was interesting to read all this about him and I know he deserves it.
To Frances: we are glad that you’ve visited our country and hopefully to see you again in KSA.
As for travelling long distances I
have always taken the airplane, but
this year I want to change and take
my car with me travelling from Avignon to Cape Town in Western-
Africa going back up through the
East to Ethiopie, if there is time
left I wanted to cross over and
visit Mecca. Would even for that
visa-problems arise ? I am Dutch,
but live in France, do I need to
contact Embassy here or in Holland ?
And if for instance ( quite likely
to happen) I pick up 2 or 3 others
to go to Mecca in Jemen or so,
could't I be able to get a visa
overthere in a simpel way ? By the
way, I'm not a tourist, I always
visit special people and places
and am not in the slightest interested in tourist things, I go
my own way. Any visa-suggestions ?
with love, assalem alaikum, kees
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