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Zara and Ali speak to travel writer Tharik Hussain about Lonely Planet’s new Saudi Arabia guide book (which he authored) and the new Saudi tourist visa and its possible implications for travellers. They talk about historical sites in the country, including surviving Ottoman heritage, and indications that there is a shift in attitudes concerning historical preservation. They also ask why there are lack of Muslim travel writers.
What We Talk About In This Episode
- Lonely Planet Guide book
- Historical sites in Saudi
- The benefits of the new Saudi tourist visa for pilgrims and tourists (Muslims and non)
- The Saudi ad campaign and the use of influencers: a closer look at the messages behind the ads and some of the orientalist tropes employed
- Saudi secret police
- Influencers conflating various cultures and presenting as Arabian
- Possible problems tourists may face, particularly those unacquainted with the culture
- Lack of Muslim travel writers
- Seeking ‘white’ validation
- Opening up pre-Islamic historical sites to archaeologists and tourists, including Mada’in Saleh
- The destruction of Islamic sites by the Saudi authorities
- 5 UNESCO sites in Saudi
- Saudi shift in preserving heritage?
- Surviving Ottoman history in Saudi
People/Things mentioned in this Episode
- Saudi Arabia tourism promotional video
- ‘Saudi Arabia implements public decency code as it opens to tourists’
- ‘Family of Loujain al-Hathloul fight to free imprisoned Saudi activist’
- Influencers advertising new visa with little regard for cultural accuracy
- Uncovering secrets of mystery civilization in Saudi Arabia
- Britain’s Muslim heritage trail
- Historic Jeddah
Tharik Hussain
Tharik is a travel writer, journalist and cultural consultant who has published work across the globe for many of the world’s major travel and media brands and is an expert on travel and tourism in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Southern Thailand.
He is the author of several titles for leading travel publisher, Lonely Planet, including: Oman, UAE, and Arabian Peninsula, Southeast Asia, Thailand, Pocket Ko Samui, Thailand’s Islands and Beaches, and Best of Thailand. Tharik also created Britain’s first Muslim heritage trails, in Surrey.
Find him on Instagram and Facebook.
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