SAUDI ARABIA'S TOURISM SHIFT - A NEW ERA OF OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CHURCH

Saudi Arabia has announced its decision to cancel fees for issuing commercial activity licences for hotels in an effort to transform the Kingdom into a tourism powerhouse by making investment in the Saudi tourism sector more affordable.
Currently, the economy of Saudi Arabia is dominated by petroleum. As the government seeks to diversify, tourism is an obvious choice.
The recent openness to tourism signifies spiritual breakthrough in a country that, only a few years ago, was mostly closed to tourists and prevented Christians from entering unless they had a business visa or work permit.
A friend of INcontext shared how the introduction of an E-visa system allows missionaries to invite support groups from home for prayer walks and engagement with locals, without the risk of linking them to their own records.
Many new tourism hotspots are being developed in rural areas, where locals have had limited contact with foreigners nor exposure outside of Islam. Saudis are notably curious and friendly, making conversations with them relatively easy.
The fact that Saudi Arabia is opening its doors to tourists demonstrates how God can change seasons. Another example of such change is the Kingdom’s openness to foreign entrepreneurs and business owners, which presents a significant opportunity for Business as Mission ventures to thrive in a formerly restricted market.
May God show Christians creative ways to take advantage of these expanded opportunities to be witnesses in the country.
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