Is it ethical to visit Saudi Arabia as a tourist?

Thank you for all your posts on Saudi and especially this article! I think the question to be raised though is not, if traveling to Saudi is unethical. The question is, if its scary. And the answer is: YES! It is scary, because your (supposedly superiour western) identity will be turned upside-town. It is scary, because, who you think you are (and especially who you think you are not) will change. It is scary, because you might have left to an unknown place critically about “their” systems of beliefs, but when you come back from those places, you will be more critically about your “own” systems of beliefs. It is scary, becauso you might have left to meet the “other”, but what you will find out, is that they are you and you are them. We are all humans. And to realize this is why you should fucking travel no matter how scary it is!

Hi Joan,
Why someone calls you misogynist or sexist is way beyond me, since you are clearly none of those things. Same with being aggressive or insulting towards you, you are traveling and in no way doing anyone any harm. On the contrary, you are inspiring others and therewith helping locals in countries who really deserve a chance at earning money with tourism when media coverage keeps people from going there.
I agree with all your points, the only thing I’m not sure with is regarding the women. I haven’t been to Saudi Arabia, but traveled in Iran, Pakistan and Oman.
I had different experiences in those countries. Oman seemed the most liberal to me, it is common for women to work and they are pretty open minded. In Iran, I talked to countless women who hate the headscarf and dresscode put upon them as a law (I very much hated that thing myself – it just felt so unfair that I was forced to wear this, only for being a woman). But then, there’s a difference between culture and law.
There is no such law in Pakistan, but most women choose to cover up. I talked to lots of Pakistani guys (it was difficult to talk to women there, except in Hunza, where the religious approach of the Ismaili is more liberal) and asked about their women&wives. I was told that “they don’t like to travel, they have different hobbies, they like to be at home” etc. I understand that this is part of the culture, and we shouldn’t be judging that. However, I can’t help but wondering if really almost all women of a country so big cover up and stay at home completely out of their free will. I personally like to travel in Muslim countries, I always feel safe there because yes, men (mostly) behave very respectfully towards women. However, I feel like there is something wrong with not letting women eat in the same room like men but banning them into the basement or behind a curtain. It feels like they are excluded from society with this, and that prevents them of having the chance (if they wanted to have that chance) to become a member of the society with equal possibilities (again, if they wanted to have those possibilities).
I hope I could make my point come across without offending anyone or sounding “superior”. I’m still searching for the answer to this question myself. In the meantime, I will keep traveling and as always, grateful for your amazing stories about amazing people and landscapes in off the beaten track destinations, which will continue to inspire me!
Annika

Hi Annika!
Thanks for your fruitful comment!
And yes, I feel the same. I am also trying to look for an answer to all the things you brought up and, in the end, many times I just tend to think that their approach is completely wrong.
However, my point was just to prove that women are not crying at their homes, that the oppression doesn’t exist and, as you well said, most of them have no ambitions, they like to be at home, they don’t like to travel and like to take care of their kids. And yes, it is their culture and society who made them like that, which is very wrong in my opinion.
This may seem kind of a crazy comparison but is like when people say that some North Koreans (not the ones who starve) are OK with their lifes, but that’s is because they have never experienced any of the comforts we enjoy and, since they don’t have internet, many of them don’t even know they exist.
Coming to the subject, my only point to prove is to say that the oppression Europe talks about is not true, hence that shouldn’t stop us from visiting Saudi Arabia.

This year women got the full rights they deserve in saudi arabia they now don’t need guardians to travel and work(and many more things but that was a couple years ago)
The one law that stands is the Abaya not the head cover but even then no body enforces on women because al heah was disbanded years ago

Hello Annika, i’m not sure if by jobless you mean Saudi women, or the women you met during your travels to different countries.
However, i would personally say Saudi women are very ambition and eager to prove themselves at all kinds of jobs. more than half of Saudi universities’ students are women, all workplaces are forced to have 50% of their employees women, with equal pay of course.
I personally am a 22 years old Saudi woman, About to graduate Strategic Communication & Political Science, already have a full time job and a company.
Where ever i go when i work, I always see women literally ruling the place because they always try to prove themselves, so they work way harder than men.
As for travels, Saudis LOVE to travel, millions of Saudis travel every summer, but they’re usually family trips not solo trips. Again setting an example of myself, i’m about to go with my girlfriends to London.
Also when it comes the mention of niqab and women being weak in the article, yeah many from the old generations both women and men believe that, however younger generations are not so keen on head scarfs or any idea of looking at women as weak creature. but you can only see that at the modern cities i’d say.
So when it come to Saudi, I always 1. it’s not what you think lol and 2. the generations’ ideologies are constantly changing.

@Ghada, thank you for this priceless insight 🙂 <3

One question. What you just said, is it only in Riyadh and Jeddah, or do you think it happens in the rest of the country as well?

Which is it exactly?
Higher education is certainly considered very important everywhere for everyone.
As for women’s career i don’t think Saudi women usually have an issue with it, however some families still don’t like it when their daughters work with men lol, some even refuse it entirely (as i’m from Riyadh this rarely happens, but i imagine it happens in other cities)
As for being able to take off head scarf, well i think a high percentage of younger generation don’t think it’s necessary, however unfortunately i think if you want to take it off without being harassed you have to be in Riyadh, Jeddah or the eastern province.

I remember visiting Saudi Arabia in 2008. It was a place where rules were enforced by the religious police. Westerners were often kept at arms length. Visiting Western females had to cover up with an Abayah and there were many restrictions on where you could travel. The sexes were kept apart and females were without a voice. Since my return in 2018 I have seen a monumental change in attitudes. The locals are incredibly friendly taking every opportunity to speak to Westerners. Females are driving the changes at light speed, dropping the use of headscarves and the Abayah. Often walking around in colourful clothing demonstrating their new found independence. In the workplace they stand on par with their male counterparts and are wholly committed to a robust work ethic. Their art is celebrated in independent galleries in Al Ula. There is an underground homosexual community in Riyadh which was pointed out to me by an Uber driver. The openness is not only limited to Riyadh but also Jeddah and Qassim which is a often seen as a bastion of conservative society. Finally there is so much to see and do in Saudi so give it a whirl and see for yourself.

Hi Ghada,
Thanks so much for sharing those insights and your perspective! I found that really interesting to read 🙂 In my comment, I was referring to the situation in Pakistan, in retrospect I guess that wasn’t totally clear. Compared to your experience, it seems that in what regards women and women who work, that Saudi Arabia is really more open than Pakistan. Again, loved to read your comment, which is really starting to make me think about going to Saudi Arabia and seeing the country and its people (and strong women like you!) for myself 🙂

I totally disagree with you. I think you support those regimes by traveling there. And this is really very cruel and unjust regime and you know it very well. But I also do mistakes, so I dont judge you. Its only my opinion. Take care. Martin

We never lock women that’s illegal and considered one of the highest forms of abuse what people are talking about parents that supervise teens and im sorry but if focus on the “if” you believe keeping teens away from danger is bad then i don’t what to say

Your article is very good and your point of view is the same as mine, keep traveling and show us the culture of each country independent of the acts of its rulers.

Glad to know that we share the same thought 🙂

You nailed every point… and welcome to the social-media-accused misogynist club (mine of course came about for writing an Instagram post explaining a bit about the Afghan blue chadri, my curiousities about it and the varying opinions on them by the Afghan people, male and female).

The big take away is that you can’t change already made up minds (even if they are misinformed and ignorant, based off of untrue logics), so I wouldn’t get too worked up. All you can do is present insight into a place and humans these people will never give the chance to.

I like that you pointed out that you don’t visit governments, and pointing out the human rights and other abuses perpetrated by western governments. If we went off of wrong doings, crimes, human rights violations and histories of just about any country on earth we’d not travel to any (and likely be required to move outside our own).

I tried to debate with the first haters on Facebook but I just achieved heating up the conversation and I got very angry. Haters can really get into your skin and after that, I learned that there is no point in discussing with them, so the ones who were very harsh and insulting me I just blocked them right away.

I am going to check that post about the Afghan burqa you are talking about 🙂

What’s funny is I sat an argued with a few of them (as well as others who had similar views to me), and most of the ones that tried to pick fights went back and deleted their comments

I think one left her comments up (called me a misogynist) and then she proceeded to get super angry because I asked (more than once) if she had any ability of comprehend what she had read because based on her comments I truly don’t think she could understand anything I was talking about.

It was surprising to me that almost 100% of the people attacking me were women! I was even talking about how many people in Afghanistan even would look at blue chadri and plead with you that that was not Afghanistan and their dislike for them.

These women on attack all tried to hide under the veil of being feminists, though they don’t seem so feminist that they would maybe try to visit one of the most difficult places in the world to be a women to try and understand a little about life there. They all seemed to fail to understand that education is really going to be the biggest step in some places to empower women and help them get rights. Sitting and condemning from a comfy western country isn’t doing anything to help oppressed women anywhere. It really seemed to piss them off too when I threw in an added “it’s not my culture to change” in my responses. Because it’s truly not my culture to change. It’s not okay for me to step off a plane on Kabul to tell them how to live their lives. The women of Afghanistan really are who need to rally to change the culture as they see fit.

Best thing your left with is to block them because some people are morons and I don’t think their ignorance can be corrected or reasoned with.

Came into this article disagreeing with your thesis but I admit, it’s well written and you have compelling arguments. Here’s the difference I see between Saudi Arabia and Spain as per your example…

Do you actually feel comfortable being openly critical, in direct opposition to the Saudi government? While traveling through Spain, or America for that matter… speaking out hyper critically against the government in specific detail wouldn’t be an issue (correct me if I’m wrong with Spain).

So here, to me, is the main issue. Is it really possible to travel to these places and give an unbiased opinion on how people live there without fear for your live/livelihood? As a travel videographer I ask myself the same question. I would fear the same of being critical of the Chinese government in China, the North Korean government in North Korea.

So I think the work you are doing is admirable. Opening people’s mind that the country of Saudi Arabia is not a monolith and the people are diverse, friendly, and ultimately human. This is beautiful. But suggesting people go and support a government so severely oppressive as the Saudi government with their tourism dollars gives me pause.

If you’re able to respond to this, I’m genuinely interested in your response. These are questions I constantly struggle with myself. If you are afraid of repercussion from the Saudi government or fear for the safety of those that helped you/showed you hospitality, I get that as well.

Hi Brett! Thanks for your comment 🙂
Of course I would be afraid to criticize their Government. If I would not, I would be a fool!
However, like I said, I didn’t visit Saudi to judge their policies but just meet their regular citizens and I encourage people to travel there independently, just like the way I did.
I spent there 2 weeks, mostly Couchsurfing, eating in local eateries run by Indians and Bengalis, hitchhiking etc. etc. etc.
I don’t see that I am supporting anyone but the local people and I never worried about the freedom of speech because I never intended to talk about politics 🙂

What a poorly argued justification, making huge assumptions from contact with a tiny percentage to justify your actions. It is your opinion and you are entitled to it but don’t complain if others disagree. I have been to Saudi Arabia several times, on business and my findings are close to the opposite of yours.

So you are telling me that I only discovered a tiny percentage of the country, you, a person who has only been there for business, the worst way of traveling for getting immersed in the local culture, as you probably haven’t left from the main cities, haven’t seen the countryside and barely left your office and the hotel.

I traveled from Al-Jawf, located in the Jordanian border to Jizan, located in the Yemeni border and many places in between, besides visiting the main cities of Jeddah, Riyadh and the area around Dammam. I hitchhiked more than 1300km and Couchsurfed on several occasions, so I think I got quite a few more local insights than you during your business trips

(and please, I don’t want to disgrace or discredit traveling for business but, dude, if that was your argument, then you got nothing man)

PS: I don’t complaint about people disagreeing, I complaint about those trolls who insult

As someone who spends more time visiting despotic regimes than most I totally support your reasoning. You could probably find some ethical justification to not visit most countries. For a boycott of a country to have much meaning it has to have some financial effect for its government so if you don’t spend any money at state run businesses or institutions you are not directly contributing to the states crimes. By not going you could just be denying local people who oppose their government of additional income. For anyone who rightly disagrees with Saudi treatment of gays, Shia and foreign workers for instance, go there and speak to people affected by it and blog about it, tell your friends etc. In reality there is a vibrant but underground gay scene in the country and the separation of sexes has only encouraged same sex experimentation, as Arab friends who lived there have testified. I read a blog by a gay English guy working there who said he got all kinds of action.
Also by not engaging in respectful dialogue with people we disagree with we will never cause them to change. Simply attacking another culture you disagree with only entrenches attitudes. Gradual exposure to open minded travelers such as yourself will do more to open those Saudi minds that object to our values than lecturing them on their supposed evils. Along the way we might also learn to appreciate the positive aspects of their culture as well.

Thanks for your wise words Graham as always!
I was also told about this gay scene in Saudi and, as you may agree, in Saudi there could actually be more homosexual people (at least people who have experimented it) than in Western countries and the reason is that they spend their whole teenage and early 20s with only men and this fact happens across all Arabia, from Morocco to Oman.
And yes, by just complaining and condemning their society we will achieve nothing, whereas if more travelers go there, the Western public opinion may evolve into positive and the country itself may also have some good positive exposure.

Hi Will, great post here. I have to admit Saudi is not top of my list (although I am looking forward to reading the post from Nada on female travel there, but the arguments you discuss here are so important (I encountered similar criticism as some of the points you list after my trip to Iran). We have to expose the dual standard that we are being fed by the media that certain countries are “OK” and “right” and others are “evil” and “wrong”. The type of travel you are doing here is the type of travel we need more than anything else because it really has the potential to break down stereotypes, fears, and bring a greater sense of human connection. Keep up the great work!

There used to be similar criticism of those who travelled to Myamar in the 80’s and 90’s. An evil oppressive regime, etc. Subsequently and in the light of recent events, it seems that all was not as those criticisms implied. It seemed, In any case, that it is when the independent traveller starts visiting that a clear view can be formed of the societies and communities in such countries. Tony Wheeler, founder of Lonely Planet, has made just this point when his own enthusiasm for Myanmar came under scrutiny. I believe LP has subsequently been quietly and positively supportive of the ordinary Myanmar citizen.
I guess self evidently none of your critics have actually been to SA.
Definitely planning a visit myself, (partly because it was only when reading ATC that I learned that such visas now exist!!!) and I look forward to becoming more educated.

Thanks, Geoff for your comment really. And yes, indeed, none of those people had been there, so it was even pointless to discuss it

You raised very pertinent questions here about ethical travel and I commend you for visiting Saudi Arabia and actually talk to locals and understand why things are the way they are over there. Most of the times we would have already developed a certain sense of biasness and stereotype towards a country and rather than visiting the country to “see it for yourself” you’re just condemning it which I feel is unfair.

CORRECTION: Tourism visas were available in 2010 and before.. the government closed it for about 8 years because of people who came here as “tourists” and ran to live in the country ILLEGALLY and they caused a lot of problems. it was very cheap back then + weak laws but NOW everything has changed with new & strict visitors/residents laws.

I seriously doubt that Western tourists would want to stay in the country illegally. I mean, what for?

What you say sounds more like to those who come for Humra or Hajj.

In any case, as far as I know, tourists visas to travel around the country ”independently” are a brand-new policy. Before, they were only issuing them if you booked a tour

In fact most of them were from Asia and Africa and they came as (tourists) not only for Hajj of Umrah.

It has been interesting to see negative comments about visiting KSA. I do not travel to judge government or to get involved in political issues. I think traveling is about observing and see how people live, to see different landscapes or how to appreciate other cultures. If you start questioning political issues and human rights, you will not travel beyond Western Countries.
Lots of tourists visit Thailand and don’t mind the sex tourism that revolves around children. What about Russia ? They poisoned people and yet many football fans went to Moscow to attend the World Cup… I could name many countries where human rights are not the same as we know it in the West. I am a European citizen and I have been working in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia for 5 years. I enjoy living there and like everywhere you will find pros and cons. Saudis are usually friendly and helpful; crime is non-existent compare to our countries. I feel very safe living in Saudi Arabia. I have also traveled to a lot of countries in Africa and Central Asia, and I can tell you that women in Saudi Arabia are well treated and spoiled in many ways compared to some other places I have seen. One should visit countries to be able to judge or have an opinion, rather than making assumption based on TV news. Presidents or dictators do not necessarily represent a whole population.

First, thank you Joan for all your tips for Syria and Saudi Arabia, etc, and all the patience to share all this wealth of information! You are amazing. Extremely helpful!
I must say I have also struggled with the idea of ethical tourism, and whether one should visit certain countries or not. For instance Myanmar. When I went there, democracy was opening up and there was a lot of hope; one could hardly imagine what would happen with the Rohinga people, something hard to believe when you meet the nice and peaceful people of Myanmar. Yet governments, the army, police and in some cases some groups can act in a way that has nothing to do with one society and the people in general.
There are different issues I see here, first is whether one feels safe travelling to a country, because in some occasions you may be at the mercy of the government or the army, or the police… and anything could happen. Second is that for some countries, tourism is essential for their economy, and, even if you don’t use government owned services etc, and contribute only to the local economy, this still has a positive impact in the overall economy and thus, indirectly, may benefit the government, one party, one leader, etc. In some countries, when the economy goes down, that may lead to contestation of the government and its policies, of the ruling parties, so could be positive in some cases and lead to changes. However, as Joan rightly puts it, there would be equally many reasons not to visit many countries, even if they are supposedly a “democracy”, for one reason or another (and I can think of many in Europe and the West as well). Then this reminds me of Spain or Portugal in the times of fascism… what if foreigners had not come visit us then? It would have been much worse because people would have been more isolated, without contact to the “outer” world and as we know, travelling and contacting people opens people’s minds! And most people were not responsible for nor supportive of the action of those dictatorships back then. So in that respect yes, by visiting different countries and cultures, we are somehow contributing to opening up people’s minds, to make people realise that there is another diverse world out there and that we can all live together. Having said this, I have decided not to go to the USA, while Trump is president. Just do not feel like it.
However probably if I had decided not to go to some countries for supposedly “ethical” reasons, I would have missed many amazing places and nice people. Anyway you have convinced me with your arguments and as long as it’s safe to travel to one country, let’s go!

Whataboutism is a really bad argument because you can’t equate governments of the US, Spain, etc with Saudi Arabia. The first two are examples of democracy as flawed as they are and as many atrocities they committed, it would be intellectually dishonest and disrespectful to those victimized by the Saudi regime to compare and absolutist Gulf theocratic monarchy to them. You can’t compare places like the US and Spain and Saudi Arabia, where you can go to jail for tweeting or get thrown in jail or even executing for other forms of publicly opining. You worship how you want (or not all) in those places but not Saudi. You can drink in those places, but not Saudi. LGBT people have many more protections in comparison. There’s a wealth of arguments in favor of visiting Saudi in spite of all these atrocities, but please, never, never invoke whataboutism when it comes to this.

When it comes to international politics, in my opinion, the USA is way worse than any other country and, in any case, my only point here is that it doesn’t make sense to stop visiting a country because of the Government’s actions

Hi, Joan!
First of all, I assure you that the suggestion I am going to make is genuine. I really want to know the Saudis opinion.
Secondly, contrary to what you say about SA after your visits there and according to numerous inquests. The SA government is way more liberal than the overwhelming majority of the population,ie, all the discrimination, intolerant, mysogynistic, etc. laws are supported by most of them and they would be even more discriminating, had they the change to choose. Most of the “liberal measures” are taken under pressure of other countries or/and through “exposition” to the other cultures.
So, my suggestion is: please, next time you visit SA, I would like you to ask Saudis, if they think it would be ethical to visit a country (eg. like an hypothetical Spain) where, most people agree with actual laws that say:
– you can’t practice your religion in public, if you are muslim
– death penalty applies to those who convert to Islam
-death penalty to muslim men who marrty non muslim women
– mosques or anything that has to do with Islam are not allowed
– discrimninating laws and regulations regarding immigration, refugee status, asylum, finantial help, and so on, against muslim
– halal is forbidden
– arabic names are forbidden
– muslims are considered terrorists (really, in SA atheists – like you – are considered terrorists; there is a law about that!)
-their most important book says: kill muslims, you can have as many as muslim slaves, as you want.
and so on.

Also as a suggestion, this subject would be introduced like this: (of course no need to say that Saudi national=Muslim)
Saudi 1: What country have you been to lately?
You: Oh, Spain, such a beautiful country, such wonderful people. It is really an underrated country. Then you mention all the laws and regulations above.

Please tell me later, what is the Saudi’s opinion? Do you think he will say it is ethical to visit Spain?

Just to finish, let me mention some things you didn’t see/misunderstood about SA:
– conservative estimates reckon 7% of Saudis are not religious or atheists, i.e. terrorists (i have probably met much less people than you and I know a few of these)
– I have also met quite a few Saudis who drink (more) alcool (than me)
– I have talked to people from all SA neighbouring countries and 99% of them have a negative opinion of them, from “Jews” (a huge insult among the overwhelming majority of hospitable friendly muslims, the most notable exceptiong being the Iranians) through “racists”, “hypocritical drunkards” to – as a sponatenous opinion by both an Yemeni guide and a Jordanian taxi driver – “if you ask me, 95% of Saudis are bissexual bastards” (sic). These opinions were voiced to me by people who either had lived in SA or dealt with them. I overheard some unfavourable opinions in situations where Saudis had just left. Knowing Arabic, including insults, makes all the difference, believe me.

And for what it’s worth, I’m from Saudi Arabia and I have qualms about whitewashing the government. I don’t consider visiting Saudi necessarily whitewashing, but things like the artists who come and perform there do contribute to whitewashing, as do companies and movie theaters that open up there.

Dear Joan,
I am happy to read your article about Saudi Arabia. I worked & lived in Jizan & Bisha in the 90’s and I am planning to visit the place again with my husband & son. I met my husband in Farazan Island & my son were born innthe Island. It is a paradise place in the middle of the Red Sea.
Thank you thank you for publishing the beautiful places in Saudi. I’ve been to Abha, Kamis, Bisha, Riyadh & Jeddah but the what sandy beaches of Farazan is comparable to the Maldives.
Delia

cheers Delia, and thanks for your kind words!

I live in Saudi Arabia. Sure the place has its problems, but doesn’t every country? The people are super friendly and I can genuinely say I love living here. The changes the country is going through and the speed at which it is happening, is amazing to watch. The western media are very good at reporting about the bad things that happen in the middle East but never mention the good parts. My mum and aunt are coming to visit next month and I can’t wait so show them this wonderful country.

Saying “many women are happy to wear a niqab” and are “happy in their circumstances” is completely over-simplifying a very indoctrinated way of life in SA. Being told you’re a lesser sex your whole life, unworthy of basic human rights is not the same as knowing the opportunities available to other women in other countries and thinking that this way of life, the only way you’ve known, is fine. There isn’t even a law against marital rape.

You can make your arguments for travelling to a country and ethical travel without downplaying very real and serious issues countries face.

Hello Marie, thanks a lot for your comment. The gender situation in KSA is one of the main reasons why many people want to boycott travel in KSA, so I thought it was a necessary point to tackle.

You might be right, but that’s a reality in Saudi, and my only point is that this reality should not stop you from going there, IMHO.
By the way, Saudi isn’t North Korea but it’s a relatively developed country with a large Western expat community, in which everybody has access to the latest phones, internet and basically, all the information from the outside world, so I strongly disagree when you say that traditional life in KSA is the only world women know.

Is it ethical to visit Saudi Arabia as a tourist?

You shouldn’t visit Saudi Arabia because the country doesn’t respect basic human rights

You shouldn’t go to Saudi Arabia because women are oppressed by their men

Visiting Saudi is not ethical because they are homophobic

Visiting Saudi is not ethical because they are racist and treat Indians, Bengalis and Pakistanis badly

Conclusion – How was my experience in Saudi Arabia as a tourist?

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