As Saudi Arabia continues its push to attract tourists, officials appear to target a particularly lucrative market segment: LGBTQ travellers.
The Saudi Tourism Authority's (STA) website appears to have modified its FAQ section to state that LGBT travellers are welcome in the kingdom.
According to a response on the FAQ page to whether LGBTQ persons are welcome in the nation, everyone is welcome to visit Saudi Arabia, and travellers are not required to share such personal information.
It still needs to be determined when the website was updated last. According to an STA spokeswoman, the policy was already in place. However, an archived website version on March 14, 2023, and earlier did not include the question and answer on the page.
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Human Rights Watch says same-sex sexual behaviour is illegal in Saudi Arabia.
According to the Human Dignity Trust, which advocates for the rights of LGBT people globally, trans people may face prosecution in Saudi Arabia if there is strong proof of the law being applied and consistent reports of discrimination and violence against LGBTQ people.
According to Darren Burn, CEO of Out Of Office, a luxury vacation planning service for the LGBTQ+ community, and Vacation Gay, the world's largest LGBTQ+ travel platform, LGBTQ+ tourists represent a lucrative industry.
"Research shows that they spend more money in a destination than heterosexual couples and travel more frequently," he told CNN.
"It's a very interesting and profitable demographic, and countries are investing heavily in [attracting] it."
However, whether LGBTQ travellers will feel safe travelling to Saudi Arabia is another question.
Burn stated that while countries such as the Maldives and Dubai, where homosexuality is illegal, are popular, Saudi Arabia may be a challenging sale without greater assurances from the authorities.
