Will Saudi Arabia ever realise its beach holiday dream?
Saudi Arabia wants to triple its tourism receipts by 2030 Credit: Getty If you have been flicking the channels in the recent weeks of lockdown, you may have noticed it. The advert that seeks to draw viewers to a Middle Eastern destination. There are hints of Jordan to its desert vistas – and enticing footage where the sea washes on to a sandy shore. Then comes the last line – in gentle voice-over. “Welcome to Arabia,” it says. This, of course, is Saudi Arabia – a place that, even by the surreal standards of 2020 and 2021, is an unusual candidate to be soft-selling itself as a touchy...