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How tourism is changing the landscape in Saudi Arabia

By GeographyJobs.com
April 15, 2020

Saudi Arabia has seemingly become the subject of more and more headlines in news outlets and academic journals over the past several years.  Some of these headlines can be seen as positive.  The progression of women’s rights within the Kingdom has been celebrated both within and outside the country, including the newly granted ability for women to attain a driver’s license.  Such progressive policies are part of the ­Saudi Vision 2030 plan­, which outlines how the Kingdom hopes to build the nation and the economy through investment of oil revenues toward a nation that will eventually need to survive and thrive in a world that is far less dependent on fossil fuels.  A large portion of this plan is fo­cused on growing tourism in the country. 

Those outside the Kingdom which are skeptical of these new and progressive policies have asserted that such moves are superficial and ­are only meant to distract from far more serious human rights transgressions and policies that will or have remain unchanged.  It is fair to say that the bulk of those people that could be considered skeptics and even critics of Saudi policies hail from Western democracies.  Those that would be highly critical of the Saudi hierarchy and their actions are also those that likely have very little interest in ever setting foot inside the Kingdom.  It is then also fair to say that those at the top of the Saudi hierarchy care little for what these critics have to say about their policies.  They do however care to ensure that Muslims around the world can maintain faith in their religion and faith in the nation that is home to Makkah (Mecca), which attracts millions of visitors through religious tourism every year.  This religious tourism is has created two cities within Makkah as addressed by this piece in the Architectural Review.­

In their piece on the intensity of Makkah, the AR illustrates how the investment in supporting tourism there has created a disparity of living conditions.  No longer is Makkah merely a magnet for tourists during the Hajj.  Gleaming office towers and hotels have been erected near the Grand Mosque to support these visitors, but also, development has occurred throughout the entire city toward supporting this sector.  There is now year-round religious tourism in the city which has helped to diversify the economy.  As such, the land around the Grand Mosque has become very valuable and existing residents have been forcibly removed in order to make way for development.  While this is assuredly part of the Saudi 2030 vision plan, Makkah is becoming a place that is made to serve the visiting pilgrims that are wealthy enough to make the journey, rather than a city that acts as home for its own residents. 

Perhaps surprisingly, despite being one of the most conservative theocracies in the World, it also appears that even more progressive steps are being taken to enhance their image as a tourist destination for visitors abroad in another area: entertainment and gaming.  The Vision 2030 plan outlines multi-billion-dollar investments in theme parks and entertainment complexes in Riyadh including a theme park and sports complexes.  In Jeddah, there are hotels and large arenas that host Belote card games.  Although no betting or gambling is allowed on these games, prize money can be offered to the winners of Belote tournaments.  Prizes can exceed 100,000 Euros for top prizes, and these events are held often due to their popularity in the region.

While there are actual real-money casinos for tourists in the mainly Islamic nations of Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia, other progressive Arab and Islamic nations such as the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait where development of tourism has also been prioritized, these countries have not yet allowed the development of casino facilities within their borders.  Development of facilities for recreational gaming was a line that even these relatively progressive Islamic nations would not cross, but Saudi Arabia, perhaps the most conservative of these nations has crossed that line at least allowing for prize-money to be won for these gaming tournaments.  While the scale of gaming activity is still small within the Kingdom, and gambling itself is illegal, it is a huge first step toward attracting tourists in the same mode as international destinations like Orlando that have been built on entertainment tourism.  While technically an illegal activity in most of the Middle East, many locals still look to gamble at reputable UAE betting sites­ that operate off-shore.  Given the stance on gambling in the Kingdom, a move to become the Macau of the Middle East remains highly unlikely.  While Saudi Arabia and all these other wealthy GCC nations that are all looking to build tourism as part of their economies of the future, gambling is a source of tourism revenue ­will likely remain taboo for some time.­

Once virtual, esports is sure to change the real world

By GeographyJobs.com
December 13, 2018

Esports is big, and it’s getting bigger.  According to newzoo, 2017 revenues reached $696 million and should grow to $1.5 billion by 2020 as brand investment doubles.  As this new form of sporting competition gets more popular, a once virtually held and participated-in competition is starting to change the built environment with the demand for esports arenas and facilities.

What is Esports?

Also known as e-sports or electronic sports, esports generally refers to organized video game competitions.  These competitions tend to involve matches between two teams.  Each team consists of several professional players.  The games in which these teams and players participate tend to require multiple players per team in games such as CS:GO, League of Legends, Dota 2, or several other popular titles.

Athletes and teams in traditional sports are watched and celebrated by millions of people for their skills and achievements.  Esports athletes and teams are no different.  With the rise of viewing platforms like Youtube and Twitch, esports and gaming fans have been able to consume the content that they desire.  By 2019, over 427 million people will view esports events in some manner.  Further entrenching esports into the cultural landscape, the market for wagering upon esports has also exploded with over US$23 billion expected to be wagered on esports by 2022.  Consumers are able to do this by accessing licensed, regulated and reputable esports betting sites.

How esports is sure to change the built landscape?

Casino development in Toronto: a source of Nimbyism or economic hope?

By GeographyJobs.com
July 10, 2017

In 2013, Toronto City Council voted overwhelmingly against the proposal for the development of a downtown casino development by 40 to 4.  Early in the process, the figurative betting odds on approval of the proposal would have been close to even money.  The once embattled Toronto mayor Rob Ford and a several city councilors were early proponents of the development due to the belief that the proposal could create 10,000 new jobs and provide the city with annual hosting fees of $100 million.  However, in the end the revenues fell short of those that were initially promised by the province by about half.  But this wasn’t the only reason the proposal failed, a downtown location for the casino was highly unpopular among city residents.  As casino development dithers, off-shore online casinos, Canadian betting sites, and soon, legal Ontario betting sites like bet365 Ontario will be the beneficiaries of this political back and forth.

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