Saudis want to avoid other Saudis on Vacation

Once popular locations, like Cairo and Kuala Lumpur, are not favoured anymore by those from the Kingdom because of the increasing number of Saudi tourists visiting every year. Travel agencies confirmed that most Saudi tourists now look for alternative destinations.

Mohammed Al-Mazmoumi, an employee at a private environmental company, prefers not to interact with Saudis in countries he visits. "Whenever I decide to travel, I ask the travel agency to recommend locations with low numbers of Saudi and Gulf tourists," he said. "Some of the behavior of Saudi tourists abroad reflects the bad image people have about my country. Most of them do not respect the laws of the counties they visit, not to mention their shameful behaviour."

Similarly, Abdullah Al-Saad, a private sector employee, does not like to see Saudis when he is abroad on vacation. He prefers to live and experience the culture of the country he visits, leaving behind his own culture. "When I was in Australia on vacation, I met a Saudi man with his wife who was wearing a black abaya," he said. "The husband distanced himself from his wife when he saw a number of Saudi tourists walking nearby. It seemed to me that he was ashamed of the way his wife was dressed. I do not understand why Saudis act like that? If he feels ashamed of his wife, then he should leave her behind and travel alone."