Saudi luxury beach resort could allow women to wear bikinis

A new Saudi Arabian beach resort project could allow women vacationing in the country to wear bikinis.

The move is part of new Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s plans to develop a luxury tourism industry on the Red Sea coast.

“The Red Sea project will be a luxury resort destination situated across the islands of a lagoon and steeped in nature and culture,” according to Saudi Arabia’s public investment fund, as reported by the Telegraph.

“It will set new standards for sustainable development and bring about the next generation of luxury travel to put Saudi Arabia on the international tourism map.”

Reuters 

The resort is to be ‘governed by laws at par with international standards’.

Foreign visitors will also be allowed to travel directly to the resort without visas, The New York Times reports.

Saudi Arabia has some of the world’s most repressive laws regarding women. Women are banned from driving and cannot travel outside the country without permission from male guardians.

Saudi women are also expected to follow traditional dress codes, though the enforcement varies from region to region.

The new tourism initiative taken by the Saudi Crown Prince is part of an effort to wean the country off its dependence on oil and expand its products.