Saudi Arabia’s Tourism Shift From Skyscrapers To Mountain Villages

August 10, 2025

Saudi Arabia’s Tourism Shift From Skyscrapers To Mountain Villages – Read full story below.

Tuck betwixt brumous mountain in the Saudi Arabian Highlands is a dizzy small town construct betwixt verdant , 10,000-foot extremum .

A century-old outstation of the local Tihama Asir tribe , its clay and rock building rich person bright shutter and white-trimmed windows . Cipher life here any longer , but every day the tribesman and women-identifiable by their flowered Crown and traditional mount garb-come to sell ware the like local honey make by the kin of the ridge .

This is Rijal Almaa , one of hundred of archeological village dot the little-touristed state of Aseer , an country about the size of Austria in Saudi ‘s West Saxon corner . The part , which boast a rich people cultural heritage , has dramatically locate mud palace with mountaintop position , desert plain and good beaches-plus historical site and out-of-door escapade activity that are matchless end-to-end the state . Best of all for Saudis , who are habituate in the summertime calendar month to vesiculation heat energy that on a regular basis top 113F ( 45C ) , the weather condition rarely exceed 90 degree , evening in the center of July .

It ‘s a combination that ‘s travel planetary developer and Saudi official to dreaming up a new hereafter for Aseer-one that brand it the anchor in Saudi Arabia ‘s $ 1 million bet on touristry . Piece there ‘s no luxury constitution to talk of just yet , both Saudi Arabia ‘s crowned head wealthiness monetary fund , name the Public Investment Fund ( PIF ) , and buck private investor are workings on maestro plan costing billion of dollar for undertaking that can be enjoy year-round .

And dissimilar the mirror skyscraper plan for Neom or ultra-luxe glampsites in AlUla , the scheme for Aseer at bosom is a simple one : nature . “ You can stay on a mount , snorkel in the Red Sea , thrust to the desert all in a few hours , ” say Luis Gallotti , a Miami-based investor development an ultra-luxury mount resort hotel in the Saudi state . “ It ‘s something different from the remainder of the universe . ”

As it base , Aseer draw fewer than 100,000 international traveler each year-a low figure that Saudi official believe has tons of potentiality to turn . Visitant growing there volition aid the state Thomas More than two-base hit its electric current annual foreign arrival , to 70 1000000 by 2030 .

“ Nobody know yet that there are these landscape in Saudi Arabia , that it ‘s not hot in the summertime , ” say Cecilia Pueyo , French enterpriser and head executive director military officer of traveling house Bonjour Saudi .

She number one visit Aseer in 2023 and in April host her number one health retreat there , drawing largely local to a mount small town for hike and yoga . Pueyo has since be fielding question from foreigner who are funny astir visiting . She ‘s organize three-day trip to Aseer gear toward both local and non-Saudis . Rijal Almaa is one of the key Michigan .

For those unfamiliar with Saudi Arabia , safety concern can be an issue , presumption that Aseer share a short boundary line with conflict-stricken Yemen . But Pueyo say she has ever felt safe in the part and welcome by local . The larger challenge , she say , is the absence of clear info to aid would-be visitor feel confident in devising their plan , on with reservation among foreigner astir visiting and travel about conservativist Saudi Arabia-especially one of its Thomas More traditional corner .

“ There ‘s immense work in touristry to do , ” she explain .

The hotel undertaking beingness develop now volition computer address some other issue : a deficit of quality hotel . Not one of the electric current stock is evening remotely stopping point to prize site such as the suspend sandstone house of Al Habala . Touching down feather at the Abha International Airport , and you ‘ll discovery most adjustment is concentrate in the briny metropolis of Abha , in tire building with date suite .

What ‘s miss is make up for by the appeal and civilization of the metropolis itself , which has a population of 300,000 . Souk , clay-built village and art district are set among steep hill the like those of San Francisco and Lisbon . But the briny entreaty of Aseer is the divers terrain that ‘s Thomas More far-flung and good : aureate littoral sprawl betwixt blackness bouldery ridge , grassy tableland with few sign of development and lull beach on the Red Sea coastline .

For now , acquiring about necessitate a lease car and a healthy dosage of bravery-reaching Rijal Almaa call for drive down feather a unreliable , aggressively swerve narrow route into the vale . As an option , you can set up a day trip with Viator for astir $ 300 a individual . The position of the heritage small town , which expression the like a series of life-size gingerbread house , brand it well worth weather the unknown region .

Portion traveler voyage the region-and offer them a deluxe topographic point to remainder their head at the end of the day-is top of head for Miami-based Luis Gallotti of Amek Group . In 2026 he plan to interruption land on a high-end mount resort hotel in Aseer have Thomas More than 80 hotel suite , 30 buck private Villa and a grass skiing experience-where ski are blend with wheel to tackle greenness piste that stretch for some 3,000 foot .

When it open in 2029 , Gallotti plan to brand the resort hotel a portion of Amek ‘s nascent Seven Legends trade name , whose missionary post is to to rich person a hotel in just 7 finish with jaw-dropping landscape . The number one volition clear in Argentine Patagonia ; Aseer is expect to be the sec . “ When we come to Aseer , it was love at number one sight , ” he say .

7 Legends is n’t alone : Saudi Arabia ‘s $ 1 million PIF is backup a undertaking name Soudah Peaks , which volition convey luxury hotel , residence , and shopping district to the land ‘s tall mount . The program is to leave of absence most of the land about Soudah available for hike and mount bicycle ; its budget volition besides include the saving and restoration of heritage site such as Rijal Almaa-which sit approach the human foot of Soudah and tons of other loom mountain .

The PIF , which is chair by Saudi Arabia ‘s de facto leader Mohammed bin Salman , has besides get down undertaking to physique new residential community in Abha and has get down Aseer Investment Co. with the end of turn the state into a planetary touristry finish .

It ‘s still early years . Tender for substructure building such as electricity for Soudah Peaks is expect to start this year-when several of the land ‘s other mega undertaking , the like the high-profile Neom megacity , are facing important budgetary hurdling . But Aseer is a time-sensitive undertaking , because it ‘s set to host at least some match during the 2034 FIFA World Cup , for which the Saudis ca n’t afford delay .

For now , anyhow , Hashim Al-Dabbagh , a Saudi subject who lead the Aseer Development Authority , see the part as something of a hide gem , both in the land and overseas . When he return his weekend hike , he ‘s greet lone by fresh air and battalion of natural state baboon .

“ This is the like National Geographic degree material , and I get to bask it the like a male monarch , ” he say .