“Women, some without headscarves, drove themselves to a Formula E car race where thousands of young Saudis and hundreds of international visitors partied into the night at concerts by Enrique Iglesias, The Black Eyed Peas and DJ David Guetta.” – Miami Herald
If I had not attended the event myself, there is no way I would ever believe such a description. As the article mentions, this spectacle would have been unthinkable until recently in the ultra-conservative kingdom where religious police used to enforce strict gender segregation, scolded women for not covering their hair, and barged into restaurants to demand music be turned off. But, this spectacle is a vision of Saudi Arabia that exemplifies the Crown Prince’s reform efforts.
Tourism is key to Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 plans. However, Saudi Arabia has been toying around with the idea of introducing tourist visas for quite some time now. The news was always the same – stay tuned, details will be announced in x-month. But, it always amounted to nothing. Until now.
Sharek Platform and International Visa
Sharek is an interactive sports platform through which many sporting events in the Kingdom will be organized from “tournaments, periodicals, and sports programs” where they will be designed around the needs of the public. The Sharek International Visa is an eVisa that is issued through Sharek to give the opportunity for fans across the world to attend any international event on the platform. The Sharek International Visa is issued electronically during the purchase process of an international event’s ticket. There is no need to visit the embassy.
I first heard about the Sharek International Visa in a Facebook group for serious travelers chasing every country in the world. The ability to travel to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia without jumping through the regular hoops created a lot of buzz in the group. Uncertain about the future of this new platform and international visa, I did not think twice. I purchased race day tickets for the 2018 Saudi Ad Diriyah E-Prix. Formula E, officially the ABB FIA Formula E Championship, is a class of auto racing that uses only electric-powered cars. The cheapest tickets for race day were 395 SAR (about $105 USD). The eVisa application only took a few minutes to complete. Moments after purchasing a ticket for the event, I received an email with the eVisa attached. The single-entry “visit” eVisa cost 640 SAR (about $170 USD) and was valid for a 30-day duration of stay.
Under the Sharek International Visa, visitors were allowed to choose their arrival date and permitted to enter the Kingdom before the date of the event and even stay in the country after. Additionally, visitors were allowed to move freely around the Kingdom – several fellow travelers explored Jeddah, Dammam, Abha, and other cities before and after the day of the race.
Historically, traveling to Saudi Arabia meant certain restrictions and specific rules, especially for unmarried women. Since this event was first of its kind, I had so many questions. As an unmarried woman, was I supposed to select a specific seating area for the ticket? Do I need a male to escort me everywhere or anywhere? Can I mingle, drive, and eat with a group of mixed genders and different nationalities? I reached out to Sharek Support and was pleasantly surprised. The team was very responsive and reassured me that there were no restrictions of any sort for Sharek International Visa holders – I was told to pick whichever seating area was most favorable to me, that I did not need a male to escort me anywhere, and that I could mingle, drive, and eat with fellow travelers, both men and women. It all seemed too good to be true. But, it was!
I arrived at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Friday night, December 14, 2018. There was a special line for customs and immigration counters for visitors using the Sharek International Visa.
Getting through the airport was a breeze – I was out the door within minutes. I booked to stay with another traveler for three nights at the Ibis Riyadh Olaya Street hotel, located across the street from the Kingdom Tower about 30 minutes away from the airport. Rideshare services, like Uber and Careem, operate throughout the city, making getting around cheap and easy. Both services have dedicated pick-up areas at the arrival terminals. So, I suggest avoiding taxis, which are far more expensive.
The Sharek platform and international visa is a milestone for Saudi Arabia, and the first move to open its borders to international visitors. According to the Vice President of the General Sports Authority, the eVisa will be studied and built upon based on the success achieved in the 2018 Saudi Ad Diriyah E-Prix event which attracted many foreign visitors.
Edge of the World
Back in October, when the idea of visiting Saudi Arabia for the Formula E race first circulated the Facebook group, a member now living in Riyadh created an event page for a meetup. He was arranging a dinner for after the race, while I took on planning an outing for that same morning. Not long after, the event attracted a lot of interest. Before I knew it, I was arranging to take 33 people on a half-day group trip to the Edge of the World – a “must-do” when in Riyadh.
While planning this outing, I reached out to several tour operators in Riyadh that offer half-day trips to these cliffs. Horizons Tours immediately stood out. The other tour operators were either unable to accommodate a group of that size, presented communication issues, or were simply too expensive when compared to their competition.
It takes about an hour and a half to get to the Edge of the World from Riyadh. There are two main routes – one passes through the valley and the other is on top of the hills. We took the one through the valley.
About halfway to the Edge of the World, we pulled over for breakfast. Abu Hisham and his team at Horizons Tours had arrived earlier to set up. There were tables and chairs neatly lined up next to a fire to keep us warm. They served us coffee, tea, sandwiches, and sweets. Delicious.
The views from the top of the cliffs were spectacular. But, the company was even better. We spent a few hours exploring the area and taking pictures before making our way back.
Race Day
Staged in the heart of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the venue included so much more than just a race track. In addition to hanging out at the Allianz eVillage, guests had the opportunity to explore the Cultural Village, Time Travel Tunnel, Family Zone, Bait Mubarak, and Turaif Area, and engage in Traditional and High End Experiences over the three-day race weekend. The first-of-its-kind event also included live performances by Jason Derulo, Enrique Iglesias, Amr Diab, The Black Eyed Peas, One Republic, and David Guetta in the concert area. Unfortunately, the concerts scheduled for that Saturday evening conflicted with my dinner plans.
In and Around Riyadh
I had the entire following day to explore Saudi Arabia’s capital city Riyadh. Compliments of the recently established Ad Diriyah Gate Development Authority, Formula E attendees had the opportunity to sign up for a free guided tour of the At-Turaif District in Ad Diriyah, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. At-Turaif was the first capital of the Saudi Dynasty, founded in the 15th century. The walking tour began promptly at 1:00 PM in the Visitor Reception Area. We received a warm welcome, along with tea, coffee, and sweets.
The two-hour walking tour took us to the Salwa Palace; Imam Mohammad bin Saud Mosque; Ad Diriyah, Arabian Horse, Military, and Daily Life Museums; the Thunayan bin Saud Palace; Horse Stable; and At-Turaif Nuzul.
Following the tour, a few others and I headed to the Observation Deck at the Al Faisaliah Tower to see the sun set and then to the SkyBridge on top of the Kingdom Tower before I left for the airport for my middle of the night flight to Chicago via Frankfurt.
What a trip! Such an incredible weekend with some of the world’s most traveled (and extraordinary) people! Want to get to know some of them? Check out: Jenna, a Chicago Public Schools teacher just five countries away from visiting every country in the world (UN count); Randy (aka Ramblin’ Randy), an internationally syndicated radio personality and world traveler; and Jason, a man who has visited them all!
