OPENING THE VEIL

At the end of February, Saudi Arabia celebrated its new holiday, The Founding Day, for the second time. The holiday was established by a special decree of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud in January 2022. February 1727 is regarded as the date when Mohammed bin Saud Al Mukrin established the first Saudi state and began reigning in it.

On this official holiday, a number of cultural, artistic and traditional events, fairs and historical photo exhibitions about the traditions and heritage of the kingdom are held all over the country. A group of Azerbaijani journalists were lucky to arrive in Riyadh on the eve of the holiday and eyewitness the scale of celebrations...

Saudi Media Forum brings together

The 2nd Saudi Media Forum coincided with the national holiday and was attended by 1,500 industry leaders, experts, analysts and specialists from Arab and other countries, including the Azerbaijani media outlets.

The two-day forum included more than 60 discussions on the development and future of the sector in its various forms, including visual, audio, print and digital. It also addressed the social, political and economic role of the media worldwide. Participants also discussed the importance of digital media, content marketing, mobile journalism and new platforms.

"The world media faces many difficult challenges. Our media is part of this world," Mohammed Al-Harti, Director-General of the Saudi Broadcasting Authority, said at the forum. Al-Harti said the forum provides a space for media practitioners and intellectuals to meet and discuss various urgent issues. Its participants look at new developments in immersive technologies such as the meta-universe and artificial intelligence in media, including ChatGPT (big language model). According to al-Harti, the forum comes at a time when the kingdom is experiencing an unprecedented boom that has facilitated the spread of Saudi content around the world.

At the closing ceremony, the names of award winners in nominations Best Journalistic Dialogue, Best News Report, Best Article, etc.—one of the initiatives to encourage the development of media content, competition and rewarding authors—were announced.

"As the Arab world explores new opportunities in IT and infrastructure investment, the region's media industry is undergoing rapid changes. The media is becoming increasingly important every day," the organisers of the media forum stated.

Apparently, this is why the forum was attended by the Saudi dignitaries, including the energy minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, investment minister Khalid al-Falih, trade minister and acting information minister Majid bin Abdallah al-Qasabi.

Seeking to activate connections

As noted at the forum, Saudi Arabia intends to build strong partnerships with the media of all countries. In this regard, Azerbaijan is not only an exception, but also a priority.

"We support the strengthening of media cooperation with Azerbaijan," stated Khalid Al-Ghamdi, Saudi Deputy Minister of Information for International Media Relations, at a meeting with media representatives of Azerbaijan in Riyadh.

The deputy minister admits that today the media ties between the two countries are still weak: "We want our cooperation to go further than just visits to our countries. We need to identify our next steps to strengthen media ties. We will develop cooperation in the field of television and print media.

Khalid Al-Ghamdi noted that proposals are necessary to organise visits to religious sites during Umrah and Hajj: "I would very much like to see journalists during the pilgrimage, who would cover and communicate aspects of the pilgrimage to the Azerbaijani audience."

The deputy minister also noted that it was important to expand cooperation in information exchange. According to him, sometimes inaccurate information is published in the Saudi media, for example, regarding Azerbaijani-Armenian relations. Such problems are eliminated after discussions with the Azerbaijani diplomatic mission. "There should be direct links between us to prevent such mistakes in your or our media," minister said.

Azerbaijani Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, HE Shahin Abdullayev, and Chairman of the Azerbaijani Press Council, Rashad Majid, also attended the meeting. They also underlined the importance of continuing the comprehensive development of relations between the two countries, including in media.

Course towards intensification

Saudi Arabia recognised Azerbaijan's independence on December 30, 1991. Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established on February 24, 1992. Azerbaijan's embassy has been operating in Riyadh since 1994, and the kingdom's diplomatic mission in Baku opened in 1999.

"The development of our relations began with the visit of the national leader of Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev, to Saudi Arabia back in 1994. President Ilham Aliyev successfully continues these relations. Azerbaijan and Saudi Arabia are cooperating closely at both bilateral and multilateral levels," Ambassador Shahin Abdullayev, said.

Saudi Arabia has consistently supported Azerbaijan's position at the UN, OIC and other international and regional organisations in relation to Armenia's aggression and has yet to establish diplomatic relations with Yerevan, the diplomat noted.

According to Abdullayev, reciprocal visits play a major role in the development of relations between the two countries. During 2022 alone, there were five high-level visits from Saudi Arabia to Azerbaijan. In 2023, Prosecutor General of Azerbaijan, Kamran Aliyev, and Chairman of the State Customs Committee, Shahin Baghirov, visited Saudi Arabia. Inter-parliamentary relations occupy a special place in the development of cooperation between the two countries. There are friendship groups in the Milli Majlis and the Kingdom's Advisory Council, which periodically visit the capitals of the two countries and hold productive talks.

To date, Azerbaijan and Saudi Arabia have signed 24 documents on cooperation in various fields.

"The high level of political ties promotes cooperation in other areas as well. In recent years, there has been fruitful cooperation between Azerbaijan and Saudi Arabia, especially in tourism and energy.

Saudi Arabia's ACWA Power has launched a 240MW Khizi-Absheron wind farm project in Azerbaijan. The company is considering the possibility of operations in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan as well," Mr. Abdullayev said.

Tourism of the future

Riyadh is considered one of the hottest cities in the world - the city is located in a tropical desert climate. In summer, temperature reaches +45°C and higher. The coolest months are December, January and February, when temperatures are generally around 20-25°C. In other words, winter is the most comfortable season to visit the country.

Riyadh, the capital of the kingdom, which hosts about 8 million people, stretches 50 km in length, as locals prefer to live in their own homes. Only a few of the capital's 15 districts can be considered the most popular for tourists. The Al-Batha commercial district is worth a trip for shopping, Al-Dirah is full of history, Al-Oliya and Al-Sulimaniyah are ultra modern and glamorous, and the diplomatic quarter (Old square), where foreign embassies are located, is very popular with modern Saudis. King Abdullah's financial district is also stylish and modern.

What can you do and visit in Riyadh? There are plenty of interesting sights to see and do in the city. Firstly, for a bird's eye view of Riyadh, climb to the highest observation deck in the city, the Kingdom Centre skyscraper. This extraordinary-looking structure stands 300m high and has 99 floors.

Be sure to visit the National Museum of Saudi Arabia. It is considered the largest and most interesting museum in the country, with exhibits ranging from prehistory to the present day, some of which change frequently.  Masmac Fortress in the heart of the Old City is a must-see. It was taken by Emir Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud in 1902 and witnessed the unification of the Saudis and the beginning of the Kingdom. This ancient building now houses a museum that introduces the history of the country.

25 km from Riyadh lies the ancient earthen city of Al-Diriyah. It was founded by ancestors of the ruling Saudi dynasty in the mid-15th century and later served as the capital of the First Saudi State. Since 2010, this open-air museum has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Perhaps what the capital's tourists will be most impressed by is a visit to the so-called Riyadh City Boulevard. The 900,000-square-metre entertainment boulevard includes giant screens that amaze with their vibrant colours as well as a dancing fountain, the largest artificial lake in the world, live performances, etc. One of the most interesting areas here is Blvd World, suitable for families and individuals who like to travel, explore and play. There are more than 10 large themed pavilion-cities about the world's most popular tourist destinations, including the USA, Japan, Greece, Spain, China, France and Italy. You can spend an entire day here and continue to marvel at the setting and the entertainment on offer.

Travel experts suggest enjoying great traditional Saudi cuisine at the popular Najd Village restaurant, known for its authentic interior. You can take Instagram photos at one of the city's popular Korean cafés, Greem Cafe, which has an interesting 2D design. The largest shopping and entertainment centre is Riyadh Park Mall, which is the perfect place for a family day out.

In 2021, Saudi Arabia ranked second in the world's Tourism Development Index and new tourist destinations, coming in 33rd out of 100 countries. And in 2022, it welcomed the most tourists among the Arab world. The World Tourism Organisation notes that Saudi Arabia has the highest growth rate in tourism in the Arab world as it has deliberately started to develop its tourism industry in recent years. The kingdom has been able to double the number of visitors since the launch of its foreign tourism strategy in 2019. The tourism sector is developing at a rapid pace thanks to major investments, and the launch of an e-visa service has reduced the paperwork required to enter the country to a few minutes. In addition, the once-strict rules of entry have been greatly simplified to attract foreign tourists.

Riyadh is now seeking to increase the tourism sector's contribution to GDP from 3 to 10 per cent in order to modernise the economy and move away from oil dependence. Research firm Euromonitor International recently estimated that inbound tourism spending in Saudi Arabia will reach $25.3 billion by 2025.

Desert ecotourism

Saudi Arabia, known mainly for its oil wealth, is also now implementing ecotourism projects. Vision 2030 is an ambitious plan to reduce the country's oil dependence in part by increasing tourism to 10% of GDP by 2030, up from 3% today. The plan includes a number of environmental sustainability initiatives, ranging from a large-scale giga-project to tree-planting campaigns.

For example, the Red Sea project aims to promote luxury tourism and includes an archipelago of 90 islands on the kingdom's west coast and the coast of Tabuk province. The large-scale project aims to attract international tourism to the pristine islands and protect the Red Sea ecosystem.  The Green Riyadh project included in the national Vision 2030 programme aims to increase the proportion of green space per capita from 1.7 sqm to 28 sqm, improve air quality and reduce temperatures, and promote healthier lifestyles. The NEOM project stands for 'a new future'. It is the environmentally sustainable development of the Tabuk region that the creators of this innovative megaproject, which is the centrepiece of the Vision 2030 programme, aspire to achieve. Among its stated objectives are the creation of smart cities, research centres, business parks and entertainment zones. The mission of the project is to attract more than 1 million residents, as well as tourists from all over the world.

To boost tourism and attract tourists, the kingdom recently announced the construction of a new international airport in Riyadh. According to the plans, the new airport will be one of the largest air harbors in the world and will cover an area of about 57 sq. km. It will feature six runways, as well as residential and leisure facilities, with a design reflecting the Saudi culture. The airport is expected to handle up to 120 million passengers by 2030 and up to 185 million passengers and 3.5 million tonnes of cargo by 2050. The new airport will also help realise the kingdom's plans to make Riyadh one of the world's top 10 cities with a population that could reach between 15 and 20 million people by 2030.

In holy Mecca

So far, tourism in Saudi Arabia is still largely linked to religious pilgrimage. For example, Mecca is visited annually by an average of more than 3 million pilgrims during the month of Zul-Hijjah for the hajj, and about 2 million during the month of Ramadan for the umrah. Throughout the year, however, countless Muslims visit the holy Kaaba, where adherents of other religions are banned from entering. According to the BBC, tourism contributes $22.6 billion to Saudi Arabia's GDP every year, and more than half of this amount is spent on Hajj and Umrah (minor Hajj). Apparently this is why analysts call the hajj the second most important sector of the kingdom's economy after oil and gas.

One of the main challenges for pilgrims is the heat. In the winter season, temperatures in Jeddah, Mecca and Medina may reach +35 degrees Celcius. In the summer, the temperature rises to 40-45 degrees Celcius. The clothing requirements for both women and men are quite strict. In brief, during the Hajj women can wear any casual clothing permitted by the Shariah, but their faces must be open and they should not wear gloves on their hands. Men, on the other hand, are not allowed to wear any sewn clothes that emphasize the body shape, as well as headgear. The two large white handkerchiefs required for men to perform Hajj and Umrah are called izar. Izars are available everywhere in the country, but are most expensive (R$140 or about ₼65) at airports.

Pilgrims have to circumvent the Kaaba and run between the hills of Safa and Marwah seven times and perform salah (prayer) several times. These exercises are not easy to do not only for a large number of elderly people, but even for younger pilgrims. To facilitate the rituals, large air-conditioners (where possible) and fans spraying cool water have been installed in the mosque grounds. In several places, the springs of sacred Zamzam water have been installed for both drinking and ablution of pilgrims.

Pilgrims are usually keen to spend as much time as possible in the Holy Mosque, which is bustling with people at all hours of the day and night. But if you have time left after completing all the rituals of Umrah, a tour of the historic city will help you touch the spirit of the region and deepen your understanding of the faith. Makkah is rich with fascinating museums that shed light on the city's history as the birthplace of Islam and a crossroads that has been gathering pilgrims from around the world for centuries.

The exhibition Two Holy Mosques tells the story of the construction and different periods of the mosques of Al-Masjid Al-Haram in Makkah and Al-Masjid Al-Nabawi in Medina. Visitors will see intricately carved marble arches, restored wooden doors and other features from different periods in the mosques. Getting permission to visit the nearby Kiswa Museum is not easy, but your efforts will be rewarded. You'll see a workshop where a 670-kilogram black silk veil for the Kaaba is handmade. Real gold and silver threads are used to embroider the calligraphic inscriptions on it. The Makkah Museum located in the luxurious Al-Zaher Palace retraces the pre-Islamic history of the region. There are cave paintings, early Islamic coins from the Byzantine, Abbasid and Umayyad dynasties, and hundreds of years' worth of rare copies of the Qur'an and other holy texts.