A Red Sea apart: Egypt and Saudi Arabia
A few thoughts on Egypt and Saudi Arabia; on being a tourist, a traveller, and somewhere in between. And a first glimpse of what it’s like to travel in the Kingdom.
My current trip to Egypt (and Saudi Arabia) made me think about tourism.
Yes, I combined Egypt with Saudi Arabia. It does make some sense. There’s only the Red Sea between the two countries, so transport‑wise it’s doable. And there were more reasons. I’d never seen the ancient Egyptian sites before, and Saudi Arabia is really into attracting visitors now, and I wanted to see it before the crowds arrive.
There are some similarities between the two countries, like the desert landscape and the Arabic language. But the contrast is larger than the sea that separates them.
North Africa is not at all like the Middle East; the cultural differences are quite noticeable. This also shows in the way they approach tourists. In Saudi Arabia (yes, I’ll dive into that destination later!), you are extremely welcome; people are curious about which places you’re visiting and what you think of the country. I experienced a similar thing in Algeria and Iran, but also in Tōhoku in Japan, and Ghana, to name a few.
In Egypt, you are a tourist among many others.
Yes, you are a tourist
The word tourist can feel a bit dirty. You can call yourself a traveller, a world traveller, a wanderer or even an adventurer - but in the eyes of the places you visit, you are simply a tourist.
A tourist is someone who visits a place for pleasure and interest.1
The distinction between a tourist and a traveller could be that a tourist focuses mainly on leisure, while a traveller is mostly interested in the experience.
But still, it all comes down to being a tourist.
Luxor is a place where everything around the Nile is focused on tourism: the cruises, the boats, taxis, horse carriages, shops, and people calling you my friend, my sister or my queen.
People come to Luxor for the temples and the tombs. They move around in small or large groups, take tours or do a day trip from their beach resort, and some are individual travellers.
All those visitors spend money on the Egyptian monuments and their stay, so you can’t blame those who want to make money 🤑 of it. But the way the whole machinery works is rather annoying. After the twenty‑fifth “No, thank you” in twenty minutes, you almost want to hide away on a Nile cruiser with premium‑mediocre food and intended playful tropical cocktails. But this is not me - I just want to have a coffee on a crappy chair on a dusty terrace among the locals.
When I honestly respond to all the questions about my home country, I get these responses:
Allemachtig prachtig (“Beautiful”): Really, nobody uses this in the Netherlands, but somehow it’s popular among the older generation of touts and hustlers.
Alles kits achter de rits (“Everything fine behind the zip?”): They think it’s cheeky. It’s not. It’s the kind of outdated question your smoky uncles would ask at your grandmother’s birthday.
Kijken, kijken niet kopen (“Look, look, don’t buy.”): Yes, we Dutch are not known as the biggest spenders2. But maybe we don’t even want to take a look at the cheaply made and ugly knick‑knacks in your shop. They even throw Goedkoper dan de HEMA (“Cheaper than HEMA,” one of the most beloved department stores in the Netherlands) in the battle. Still, it won’t convince us to buy anything.
After digesting all the clichés (even the okay ones3), I changed the answer to Iceland and Liechtenstein, and the response was: “Welcome to Egypt, look at my shop, I make a good price for you.”
Relax, madam
This kind of treatment makes the contrast between them and you bigger. There you go with your wish to blend in with locals. And there we are, back at being just a tourist and a consumer.
Travellers don’t want to be the same as tourists and vice versa. In the meantime, people make a lot of assumptions about how you spend your time in their country. They probably base this on how they see the majority of visitors spending their holiday, so you end up fitting their image of a visitor. And when you try to explain, they don’t listen.
“Relax, madam, it’s your holiday now, so no need to worry.”
I was done after this4. But it also made me think about why we travel.
Why we travel
There are so many reasons to travel. We want to see, taste, feel and smell other places than the ones we know. Broaden our horizons, get out of the comfort zone, be somewhere else and live.
Getting to know another country is utopia; but a peek into it can already be satisfying. This is why I like markets; they tickle all the senses.
We visit a place because we want to. They welcome us. Let’s not forget it’s all a commercial affair; for a lot of countries, tourism is an important source of income.
A film set
In the whole discussion about overtourism5 there’s a lot of finger‑pointing towards tourists. But let’s not forget that some countries and regions can be very directive in what we can or even must experience as visitors, and what we’re not supposed to see.
Being a tourist or traveller can therefore sometimes feel like being on a film set. There are some main stages and some side stages, but we hardly get to go behind the scenes.
A so‑called (by me) designated tourist trail could also be something Saudi Arabia and Egypt have in common; in Egypt, you’re expected to see the ancient sites6 and/or the Red Sea. In Saudi Arabia, you mainly visit what they promote (also because it’s still largely unknown). Those are the stages with the main acts, even if it’s not planned on purpose.
The biggest façade of them all: North Korea
It started with the organised tour I had to take to visit the DPRK7 (you never ever refer to it as North Korea inside the country!). From the moment I entered, it felt as if I were part of a show.
This was already very obvious on the very first day. During a visit to the university library, they ‘randomly’ brought out a copy of The Diary of Anne Frank; a well pre‑produced prop on the set, I must say.
Countries where tourism is still developing, and those where the approach to tourism is going the wrong way, can learn a lot from others in terms of visitor distribution, marketing, and infrastructure. In the end, everyone benefits from a proper long‑term tourism policy; even us, whether you are a tourist or a traveller.
There it is: Saudi Arabia
A first short piece about my recent trip. Short because I’d like to get articles published about it. Inshallah, as they would say in the Kingdom. 🤞
Golden Triangle + Medina
This was basically my itinerary. The Golden Triangle in Saudi Arabia consists of the capital, Riyadh, Al‑‘Ula; and Jeddah, which is also linked to the Red Sea. And since it’s recently opened for non‑Muslims, Al‑Madinah (the official name of Medina) was also part of the trip. A very interesting part, I must say.
Riyadh is a massive city. Transport is possible by metro (opened in 2024) or taxi (including pre‑paid services like Uber). There is no classic city centre, so you have to find out where the Saudis entertain themselves. We found ourselves walking wide‑eyed through Boulevard World one night.
The big attraction of Riyadh, though, is historic Diriyah with UNESCO‑listed At‑Turaif.Al‑‘Ula (also written as AlUla or al-ʿUlā) is the poster child of Saudi tourism. It’s the name of the new town (for the locals), the old town (still in development but already looking nice), and the historical sites such as Jabal Ikmah and Hegra - all set in a dramatic desert landscape with its characteristic rock formations. The luxury resorts and the mirrored Maraya cultural hub are secluded in the Ashar Valley, which is not accessible to normal visitors.
Jeddah has a very promising historic district, Al‑Balad. Currently, about half of it is under renovation; many of the houses are being restored, and it seems rather necessary. Still, Al‑Balad is charming to walk around, especially in the evening when everything comes to life. Jeddah is also all about the Corniche, the marina, the Red Sea (diving and snorkelling), and seafood.
Some insights
Saudi Arabia is a very safe country. People are friendly and welcoming; it’s modest and shiny at the same time, and overall it breathes ambition.
In the daytime, the main cities like Riyadh and Jeddah can feel deserted. Everybody seems to leave their houses after 4 p.m. (as a Saudi said to me, “This is waking up for Saudis”). They are evening and night people, without exception. When day turns into night, Saudis leave their air‑conditioned shelters, and life returns to the streets. That’s why Saudis are big fans of winter - they can finally go out during the daytime.
Most Saudis wear white thobes (men) and black abayas (women). They like to dress formally. As a tourist, the only requirement is to dress modestly to fit in; you don’t have to wear a hijab or an abaya. Only if you want to enter a mosque you do have to dress accordingly.
Saudi Arabia: Go now or go later?
Saudi Arabia is working hard to make the country more suitable for tourism, but they are still restructuring historical sites like Al‑Balad in Jeddah and Diriyah near Riyadh. So should you go now, or wait until later?
» Go now
You will discover the country before tourism really arrives. It doesn’t mean you will have the Hegra ruins all to yourself, but you’ll still only share them with a small group of other travellers and the inevitable influencers.
The downside of going now is that tourism infrastructure is still developing.
» Go later
Within a few years, the historical sites could be much improved, and there will be more options for tourists. If you wait two to four years, tourism will be more developed and the country more open (perhaps even with changes to alcohol regulations). You could plan to be there before or during the 2030 World Expo. During the 2034 FIFA World Cup, all eyes will be on Saudi Arabia.
Either way, the changes in the Kingdom are happening fast.
Read, watch & for your agenda
Curious about the landscape? Watch the Al-’Ula cycling tour starting on 27 January 2026.
Between 1908 and 1920, the Hejaz Railway connected Damascus in Syria and Al-Madinah in Saudi Arabia, with stops across Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. There was even a plan to extend it to Istanbul. I can recommend this wonderful website about the railway!
Right now the 46th edition of the Cairo International Film Festival is taking place; it will last until 21 November.
More into comedy movies? I saw the funny Al Sada Al Afadel in the Zamalek cinema recently.
Source: dictionary.cambridge.org
I always like the sports (mainly football) references like Hup Holland hup! This is a cheer used during sports matches where we dress in orange. Also check:
After the night train between Aswan and Cairo and my first day there, it felt more laid‑back, which is strange in a bustling city like Cairo. I’d also like to thank Stina Gustafsson for her great Cairo guide!
Another referral to my own writing yeas, this piece is about overtourism:
Yes, I really liked the ancient sites and I’m happy I visited them. Still one thing left this visit: the GEM (Grand Egyptian Museum).
Read more about my visit to the DPRK (in Dutch).
Wat een mooie beelden Marloes! Volgens mij een hele mooie reis. Leuk om te lezen "But maybe we don’t even want to take a look at the cheaply made and ugly knick‑knacks in your shop" hahaha
I really enjoyed reading your post. I totally agree, 'I just want to have a coffee on a crappy chair on a dusty terrace among the locals' too. Thanks for the link to the Hejaz Railway page. Makes you REALLY wish that line was still going. I suspect it would be an amazing journey. I am curious, how did you find the contrast between the markets of the Kingdom and Egypt? Did they tickle the senses differently?