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Six Flags Qiddiya| Saudi Arabia | Theme Park

ChristianPalsson said:
I understand your position to not visit Saudi but I think there has been some change recently. Had a long chat with a high ranking member of the Saudi foreign ministry and he pitched the country wonderfully. He told me that Saudi is not as liberal as Dubai but he promised me a great time there as well as promising me safety and free healthcare as a foreigner. He even wanted me to join him there the next day. I had to decline due to time constraints. I wouldn't say any country existing right now has a clean moral compass.

Saudi Arabia is certainly a place I look forward to visit.
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I wonder if this supposed "safety" applies to women as well? As great as this theme park looks I would honestly never dare to bring my fiancée near that country.
 
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shigu said:
I wonder if this supposed "safety" applies to women as well? As great as this theme park looks I would honestly never dare to bring my fiancée near that country.
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The guy promised me safety from crime, terrorism, their religious police and corona/disease (including free hospital treatment). A condition to visit is that I adhere their rules and customs. This includes not having sex outside of marriage, not drinking alcohol, etc. He said that the same applies to any others who visit Saudi, including women. Nowadays, women no longer need to be veiled and can drive.

I don't agree with their customs but who am I to enforce my liberal ideas on their culture? In a way it's like stepping into someone's house, then you have to accept whatever policy that person sets in his house, not try to enforce your own. Even though I like drinking alcohol and having sex, I could perfectly well survive a couple of weeks without. If you aren't married and need to have sex everyday then don't visit Saudi.

Regarding LGBT+ people. They can perfectly well visit as long as they don't show LGBT+ things during their visit. Same sex couples should behave as friends to be on the safe side. I have multiple gay couple friends who have visited Saudi Arabia and absolutely loved it. I am looking forward to visit myself.

The issue is more with local Saudi LGBT+ people. They don't have it easy.

I am in no way defending Saudi Arabia. I just write my own reasoning for wanting to visit.
 
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It’s definitely possible to visit the country safely, but it seems kinda backwards to me that a country betting it’s future around being a tourist destination also enforces these BS rules that make people feel uncomfortable. I don’t know about the rest of you guys, but I wouldn’t wanna worry about this **** while trying to relax on vacation.
 
ChristianPalsson said:
The guy promised me safety from crime, terrorism, their religious police and corona/disease (including free hospital treatment).
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The guy is also a "high ranking member of the Saudi Foreign Ministry". Of course he's going to say this. It's like me asking Jeff Bezos if he recommends getting an Amazon Prime account.

ChristianPalsson said:
Regarding LGBT+ people. They can perfectly well visit as long as they don't show LGBT+ things during their visit. Same sex couples should behave as friends to be on the safe side.
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Yeah, not really selling it for me tbh ;) Why would I want to visit a place in which I must hide a large part of my identity, a part which can't be changed, just to avoid violence or prosecution?

ChristianPalsson said:
The issue is more with local Saudi LGBT+ people. They don't have it easy.
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And there's the thing. I ain't spending my hard-earned tourism pennies to fund a nation that treats it's citizens in this way. Not saying you're a fundamentally flawed person for visiting, but it wouldn't sit right with me. I know there's not really such thing as an ethical purchase under capitalism, most transactions will fund something bad and there's not much you can do about it. However, it's pretty easy to not visit a country that's as backwards as Saudi Arabia, so I feel that me not visiting is the right thing for me to do.

ChristianPalsson said:
I don't agree with their customs but who am I to enforce my liberal ideas on their culture? In a way it's like stepping into someone's house, then you have to accept whatever policy that person sets in his house, not try to enforce your own. Even though I like drinking alcohol and having sex, I could perfectly well survive a couple of weeks without. If you aren't married and need to have sex everyday then don't visit Saudi.
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I'm all for following the rules when on holiday. However in a normal country, the rules are things like "don't be drunk and disorderly" or "drive with your headlights on 24/7".

But I mean, if you wanna go on an expensive holiday with no sex or even alcohol, you're free to do so! I'll stick to places where I can have a beer and hold a bloke's hand without getting locked up :)
 
Ethan said:
The guy is also a "high ranking member of the Saudi Foreign Ministry". Of course he's going to say this. It's like me asking Jeff Bezos if he recommends getting an Amazon Prime account.


Yeah, not really selling it for me tbh ;) Why would I want to visit a place in which I must hide a large part of my identity, a part which can't be changed, just to avoid violence or prosecution?


And there's the thing. I ain't spending my hard-earned tourism pennies to fund a nation that treats it's citizens in this way. Not saying you're a fundamentally flawed person for visiting, but it wouldn't sit right with me. I know there's not really such thing as an ethical purchase under capitalism, most transactions will fund something bad and there's not much you can do about it. However, it's pretty easy to not visit a country that's as backwards as Saudi Arabia, so I feel that me not visiting is the right thing for me to do.


I'm all for following the rules when on holiday. However in a normal country, the rules are things like "don't be drunk and disorderly" or "drive with your headlights on 24/7".

But I mean, if you wanna go on an expensive holiday with no sex or even alcohol, you're free to do so! I'll stick to places where I can have a beer and hold a bloke's hand without getting locked up :)
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Thank you, for I don't have any energy left to say all this myself. On point as always.
 
Ethan said:
The guy is also a "high ranking member of the Saudi Foreign Ministry". Of course he's going to say this. It's like me asking Jeff Bezos if he recommends getting an Amazon Prime account.


Yeah, not really selling it for me tbh ;) Why would I want to visit a place in which I must hide a large part of my identity, a part which can't be changed, just to avoid violence or prosecution?


And there's the thing. I ain't spending my hard-earned tourism pennies to fund a nation that treats it's citizens in this way. Not saying you're a fundamentally flawed person for visiting, but it wouldn't sit right with me. I know there's not really such thing as an ethical purchase under capitalism, most transactions will fund something bad and there's not much you can do about it. However, it's pretty easy to not visit a country that's as backwards as Saudi Arabia, so I feel that me not visiting is the right thing for me to do.


I'm all for following the rules when on holiday. However in a normal country, the rules are things like "don't be drunk and disorderly" or "drive with your headlights on 24/7".

But I mean, if you wanna go on an expensive holiday with no sex or even alcohol, you're free to do so! I'll stick to places where I can have a beer and hold a bloke's hand without getting locked up :)
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As @Stevie said, on point 👌
 
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