It is evident that tourism is growing well with the
significant development in the tourism industry of Saudi Arabia over the past
five years. The growth of tourism has lead to the developments of many
infrastructures like hotels, shopping malls, recreational parks and other
tourism facilities. For e.g. according to research, there is a rise in the
growth and the development of the Riyadh cumulative shopping mall in the last
ten years. This would increase employment (jobs created) for the Saudi locals
as they would have stores in the malls to sell goods to tourists and increase
in locals employed in the service industry (hotels and resorts) for instance.
"Saudi Arabia plans to have 2 million tourism jobs within 10 years, up from 457,000, according to the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities. Tourism revenue will grow 4.8 percent in 2010 to 66 billion riyals ($17.6 billion) and rise to 118 billion riyals in 2015, according to data from the commission." Bloomberg Businessweek
The increase of employment and tourism receipts would generate income for both
the locals and country as a whole and with higher income, their standard of
living will improve. In addition, improved transportation systems like the
newly opened Chinese-built haj pilgrimage train. The building of such transport
can benefit the locals, making domestic travel much faster, safer and more
convenient. With the purpose of reducing accidents (for e.g. stampedes) and
boosting tourism, this mode of rail transport aims to make travelling easier
for millions of Muslims who flock to the kingdom on the annual haj and movement from one holy site to
another.
Other benefits to the locals include the many tourism schools sprouting up in Saudi Arabia which provides professional training. E.g. Vatel International Business School which is a globally recognised school for preparing students for middle and higher management positions in a booming sector of the Tourism industry. This shows that the facilities developed for tourism can benefit residents of Saudi Arabia, rejuvenating local development in response to tourist interest.
Other benefits to the locals include the many tourism schools sprouting up in Saudi Arabia which provides professional training. E.g. Vatel International Business School which is a globally recognised school for preparing students for middle and higher management positions in a booming sector of the Tourism industry. This shows that the facilities developed for tourism can benefit residents of Saudi Arabia, rejuvenating local development in response to tourist interest.
However, the facilities built can result in negative impacts
like conflict of resources. The hotels and resorts definitely require the use
of prime resources such as water and energy. Water is needed for parks and
gardens, swimming pools, laundry washing and so on in hotels. Moreover, the
usage of these resources is usually in huge amounts which might result in
competition for use of resources between the tourists and locals.
These tourist facilities which are signs of Disneyization
(as mentioned previously) are not the only aspects which might result in
negative impacts for the locals. The events and festivals held in Saudi Arabia
which attracts significant amount of tourists might result in the change or
loss of culture and values. Mega events like the annual Al
Janadriyah Heritage and Cultural Festival, attracts
more than one million visitors each year.
Many traditional performances by the
locals have evolved to adapt to tourism (commodification of culture). The Ardha,
Saudi’s most well-known traditional dance used to be sung before battle.
However, when the performers dance during the festival, they are just
performing, although it is still authentic, the level of authenticity is not as
pure as the olden days when Saudi men will genuinely express their braveness in
the poetry, music, dance, dressed in their traditional clothing for war. It has
evolved into a staged performance which no longer is practiced before battles.
Other issues like economic inequality and job level
friction might also arise. Some locals who have lower level jobs might feel
“unfairness” while foreigners hold managerial positions in international
companies like Marriott, Intercontinental. Such negative impacts of tourism
that affects the Saudi locals might lead to a change in attitudes and behaviour
towards tourists. Retreatism can be one form of reaction among locals whereby
they start avoiding contact with tourists, drawing boundaries between’ them’
(tourists) and ‘us’ (locals). Tourists behaviours might also lead to irritation
towards locals. For instance, some tourists’ dressing is deemed as inappropriate
especially in a conservative, Muslim society in Saudi Arabia. It can offend the
locals and resistance towards tourism might arise.
This
spectacular event receives growing media coverage, broadcasted to millions of
Arab viewers by MBC and it raises local awareness of their rich culture and
traditions. Such national events/festivals stimulate feelings of pride and
patriotic fervour which strengthens the Saudi communities. This event instils
pride in the locals allows them to celebrate their culture and showcase their
culture to tourists at the same time.
“Naturally it was difficult at first, with many people refusing to accept what I do, making derogatory remarks and being critical, given the way people generally look down on Saudi women working as tourist guides,” says Nuha Ghazaway. The Saudi Gazette
Such events/festivals provide a platform
for cultural exchange between the Saudis and the tourists. This will in turn
increase mutual sympathy and understanding between people and cultures. It also
reduces prejudices. For instance, this tourist posted on her blog about being
able to take photos when she and her family went for the Janadriyah festival.
Being aware of Saudi Arabia as a country with many restrictions (she heard that
people are jailed for taking pictures in public places there), she was surprised
to see the locals showing great friendliness and they actually offered to take
photos with her. She had the perception that usually the locals tend very
uptight but was greeted with the opposite.
Tourism & Saudi Women
Tourism has
in a way brought a change to the lives of women in Saudi Arabia. The women tour guides in Tabuk are a very good example.
These Saudi women have an increasingly important role in the tourist sector,
are seeking official recognition in order to bring greater professionalism to
their work. Saudi women are trying to stand up for their rights to prove that
women are a potential resource and are able to have new ideas, to produce, and
to work without abandoning their religion and values of their conservative
society. They are striving hard to achieve approval for the employment
stability afforded to their male counterparts. Munira Aseeri, one of the tourist
guides said, “It helped that I spoke English, as I was teaching English at a
school in Tabuk. But at the beginning it wasn’t easy, especially when I
realized that this kind of work wasn’t officially permitted for women, although
no objections are made in reality.”
Increasing number Saudi women are entering the tourism industry today.
Many Saudi women working in the tourism sector have
realised that it changed the impression tourists have of them. By working in
the tourism industry, they need to interact with tourists of different
nationalities from all over the world. Such valuable interaction builds bridges
between the different cultures and increases mutual sympathy and understanding
for each other. Muslim
and Western views of the role of women show sharp cultural differences but tourism
in this case, has helped to reduce prejudice, the stereotype of Muslim women,
as uneducated, with no rights and no opportunities as a false impression and to
help them gain more recognition for their contribution to the society.
Tourism & Indigenous People of Saudi Arabia
Most
of the Bedouin tribes originate from Saudi Arabia but now they are scattered
all over the regional countries like Eygpt, Jordan, Kuwait and many more. This
is due to the modernization of society and climate changes which forced Bedouins to cease to lead nomadic or
semi-nomadic lifestyles. Tourism
has played a crucial role in changing life for the Bedouin who must now seek
income through this sector.
Ecological changes such as the lack of rainfall due to global warming, results in the reduction of animals, plants and water which the Bedouin’s rely most on for their livelihood in the past.
With a need to
survive, Bedouins have no choice but to turn to tourism to help them generate
income. For instance, in Sinai, Egypt, some Bedouins work as tour guides due to
their familiarity with the desert, bringing them to historical sites such as St
Katherine. As tour guides, they get to be involved in a cultural exchange
experience with the tourists and might even be offered professional training at
tourism schools. While showing tourists around, it makes Bedouins aware of the
financial value of their cultural sites and stimulate a sense of pride in their
heritage. Many also own businesses, hotels, property or land in seaside resorts
such as Sharm El Sheikh. Others work as drivers, in dive centres or
hotels/camps.
Bedouin women at work; weaving as their traditional skill.
Bedouins
weaving is also another alternative that Bedouins turn to for a source of
income due to tourism. Even though weaving is part of their culture especially
weaving of the tent (their most essential item in the past), indigenous weaving
is no longer for traditional, functional items like tents and camel
accoutrements, made for the use of Bedouins. Tourism demands has lead to
Bedouin weaving being applied to boutique items, which alters the authenticity
of Bedouin culture in this form of art. For instance, a variety of handicrafts
like cushions, sleeping mats, decorative pot holders and elaborate tribal masks
are weaved by Bedouins and this skills is taught to their younger generations,
however, the latter skills is not emphasised anymore because items like masks,
are worn much less often in today’s modernized society.
In the production of
these handicrafts, some activities were considered dishonourable to certain
Arabs like iron mongering, skinning animals and curing skins for instance.
However, handicrafts like leather crafts were among the essentials among the
generally settled Bedouins of today. This could be a sign of a change/loss in
authenticity of values and are just “staged” art performances for tourists.
This can lead to commodification of culture and traditions due to tourism.
Involvement
in tourism does provide economic and certain social benefits for the indigenous,
but it results in negative socio-cultural impacts such as the manufacture of
Bedouin heritage for sale as a commodity and as a component of certain Arab
national heritages.
