Photos: Domestic tourists flock to Saudi Arabia's Rijal Almaa

Local tourists watch Saudi men perform a traditional folk dance at the cultural village of Rijal Almaa. When the pandemic hobbled Saudi Arabia’s plans to become a global tourism hub just months after opening its borders for the first time, officials looked for the bright side.

There won’t be any foreign holidaymakers sunning on the kingdom’s beaches this summer. But there’s a new market to woo: Saudis trapped at home. Above: Saudi men perform a traditional folk dance at the cultural village of Rijal Almaa.

Along with countries around the world that are trying to recoup some of their tourism losses through domestic travel, the government leaned into the disruption, stoking patriotic sentiment with calls for a “Saudi summer”.

“The amount of constraint that people are feeling, the suffocation – this is a chance,” Fahd Hamidaddin, chief executive of the Saudi Tourism Authority, said during a conference to announce the strategy.

Rijal Almaa is a village located in 'Asir Region, Saudi Arabia. Anciently, the village used to be a natural passage that linked between Yemen, Makkah, Madinah and Levant. Thus, it was a regional trade center.

Rijal Almaa contains around 60 multi-story buildings made of stone, clay and wood. The village has a historical significance as it has a number of long and old fortresses.

Rijal Almaa also has stunning sceneries with great history of the region. For its exceptional features the village is today on the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage.

Saudi men perform a traditional folk dance at the cultural village of Rijal Almaa in the outskirts of Abha.

When it comes to Saudi traditional architecture the first image that comes to mind is the charming and colourful houses of Rijal Almaa.

A Saudi man wearing traditional clothes inside a beautiful historical house in Rijal Almaa heritage village.

Saudi men perform a traditional folk dance at the cultural village of Rijal Almaa in the outskirts of Abha.

Saudi kids pose for a photo in front of beautiful historical houses in Rijal Almaa heritage village.

Abha saudi arabia historical place Rijal almaa

Saudi men perform a traditional folk dance at the cultural village of Rijal Almaa in the outskirts of Abha, Saudi Arabia July 17, 2020. Picture taken July 17, 2020. REUTERS/Ahmed Yosri

Saudi men perform a traditional folk dance at the cultural village of Rijal Almaa in the outskirts of Abha, Saudi Arabia July 17, 2020. Picture taken July 17, 2020. REUTERS/Ahmed Yosri 5