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| Trash Clean up of a New Walking Area in Ar-rabia in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - January 16 |
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and her wise leaders have a vision for her and her people. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud stated, “My primary goal is to be an exemplary and leading nation in all aspects, and I will work with you in achieving this endeavour” (Vision 2030, 2021). One endeavor of which King Salman spoke is promoting tourism within the Kingdom. Tourists aspire to visit places that are pristine, but with the trash littering, not only the inhabited places in Saudi but also, the deserts, mountains, and coasts, Saudi will be overlooked as the tourist destination she can be. There needs to be a paradigm shift that “moves us from one way of seeing the world to another” (Covey, 2020, p. 13) in this magnificent Kingdom. There needs to be the understanding that the deserts, as well as the mountains and coasts, are treasures to be kept as God had intended them to be. To this end, I would like to start off an anti-littering public service campaign by organizing cleanup parties in which people, locals and expatriates, would meet at a site to collect the litter. These need to be highly visible places, so others can see the activity and possibly choose to join in. However, they also need to be safe and away from traffic. I am taking suggestion on such places in the comments.
The great Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a beautiful country, and while most people associate her with the deserts, this country has majestic mountains and miles of coast lines. Her cities are becoming metropolitan, while the towns and villages maintain their individual, old world charm. Saudi Arabia would be the perfect place for tourists to experience these beautiful features and a unique and proud culture. Saudi's winters are the perfect time for North American and European tourists seeking to escape their own harsh winters to bask in mild, sunny days and ultimately spend their money. It could be a win, win situation for everyone. However, who would want to vacation in a place that is not clean?
In fact, when one is visiting another country, one wants to have the feeling that it is a safe place. The Wheel of Needs (n.d.) depicts that order is a factor in one’s sense of security, and litter does not relate to order. For instance, if one goes to Dubai or Kuala Lumpur there is a sense that these are safe places because they are clean. This order shows that the cities are cared for and, in turn, so are the people in them. This includes their visitors. It is widely known that Saudi hospitality is generous, and that the Saudis would never want to have their guests not feeling safe.
In the long run, it will be important for the citizens of KSA to understand they have several treasures they can share with the world. While Saudi hospitality is an important part of the experience, it is not the only aspect of tourism that needs to be part of this experience. This will be especially true when people from other regions of the world start to call Saudi their number one vacation spot. The shifts in paradigms that need to take place can be achieved through an anti-littering public service campaign that puts Saudi pride in its country in the forefront. This will not be a quick or even an easy process, but it can start with people witnessing others collecting trash and caring. Then the question can be posed, “If they care, then why can I not can care.” We all need to be part of the solution.
As seen in the photo above, my husband and I are in the process of cleaning a new walking are in our neighborhood. What places have you seen that need such attention? Leave your suggestions in the comment box, and we can set up Meet up Clean ups.
References
Covey, S. R. (2020). The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: 30th Anniversary Edition [Kindle]. East Roseville: Simon & amp; Schuster Australia.
Vision 2030: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. (2021, January). Retrieved January 20, 2021, from https://www.vision2030.gov.sa/en
The Wheel of Needs: Universal Human Needs. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://i.pinimg.com/originals/93/b8/f2/93b8f299b4fd7521aca3d3b7e2a0798c.jpg
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