Turki Al-Dakheel Al-Riyadh I am astonished by the anger shown by some people over the current high rates of air tickets — more than double in many cases — whether on budget airlines or regular ones. Planning well in advance should have saved them from this predicament. People should have planned for their summer vacation at least six months earlier. They should have bought their tickets and made their hotel reservations long time before. When you plan beforehand, you will find that the cost of your summer travel is well under your budget. In Dubai, for instance, the hotel fares which were at 250 dirhams per night two weeks ago have now jumped to 1,200 dirhams. If you had made an early booking you would not have been charged more. Economy air tickets from Riyadh to Dubai were only 600 dirhams a few weeks ago but have now reached more than 2,000 dirhams. Had you bought your tickets earlier you would not have to pay more. I think traveling has been planted in the Saudi blood. I do not think of anyone in the world so fond of traveling than the Saudis. A few days ago, a tweeter questioned why do Saudis travel to Dubai which is extremely hot and its sun ever scorching? He also said Saudis prefer to travel to Dubai even though traveling to it costs more than traveling to Malaysia and other tourist havens. My answer to this is that the Saudis are looking for a variety of entertainment and more freedom space. Whoever has watched the lecture delivered by Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, which was displayed on YouTube and shown many times on Sama Dubai TV, would have noticed the special warm welcome accorded to Saudis in the United Arab Emirates. The Saudis top the number of Dubai visitors. The ruler has launched a number of tourist projects especially designed for Saudi families. The Saudi tourist is not usually too demanding. All that he or she wants is a cinema house, a coffee shop and a shopping mall in addition, of course, to a strong tourist infrastructure, nice services and good treatment. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyib Erdogan recently received a Saudi family on a visit to Turkey. He was seen smiling while giving presents to the members of the family. He was displaying his country's special welcome to the Saudi tourists. Questions, however, remain unanswered about the success of the domestic tourism. I do not have any answers to these questions.
