Saudi Arabia's Transformation: From Forbidden Sites to Tourist Destinations
2025-03-03
Under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia is undergoing a dramatic transformation. Once viewed as a bastion of Islamic puritanism, the kingdom is aggressively promoting tourism and re-evaluating its pre-Islamic history. Sites like Madain Saleh, once considered cursed, are now being marketed as tourist attractions, part of the ambitious Vision 2030 plan to diversify the economy away from oil. However, this shift is controversial, with some religious scholars expressing concern about the integration of Western cultural elements.