Ladies and gents, pack your sunscreen and let’s embark into the wild unknown. We're taking a sexy saunter into Saudi’s secluded splendour, where shimmering sands are as ubiquitous as inflatable unicorn floats at a Coachella pool party. Yes! Striding away from their oil fields, BMWs, skyscrapers, and sheikhs, Saudi Arabia is ready to unveil her beauty minus the bling. Reed-thin camels, molten landscapes, bustling bazars, we’ve left no sand dune unexplored. And we’re doing it, naturally, in a Lawrence of Arabia style bash of biblical proportions (Abaya is optional). The Kingdom has flung open its fortified gates to mass tourism in a bid to diversify their economy and earn some petty cash. In 2019, the Saudi Commission for Tourism & National Heritage announced a new visa regime for 49 countries. Notably, Saudi Arabia is the first country in the region to pioneer a revolutionary visa that’s not for work, transit, or religious pilgrimage. Dear reader, right here is when you clear your schedule, inform your loved ones about your unavailability and prepare your 'Out of Office' email. It is time to indulge the whimsical romantic in you who yearns for sandy escapades amidst thousands of years of history. All the while subtly hinting at your slightly precarious taste for danger because, well, it's Saudi Arabia. What's hot in Saudi these days, you ask? Well, nothing really. Just a blistering 40°C average summer temperature. But the searing heat is the least of your concerns when there's so much more to possibly worry about. Like sand. A lot of sand. Sand that insinuates itself into every physical, metaphysical, and even spiritual crevice you may possess. Sand that will haunt your dreams and clothes for decades. Saudi’s new tagline, 'Experience the Unimaginable' would have been more credible if they’d shown some imagination beyond oversized and largely empty luxury hotels, sunburnt tourists, and enough bottled water for Noah to reconsider his ark. Still, there was the architectural spectacle of Riyadh, exuding the charm of a dystopian Las Vegas. Let us not forget the sports! Saudi’s General Sports Authority is remarkably keen on hosting events that 99% of the population can’t play or have little understanding of. Horse racing, football, chess, wrestling. No stone (or camel, for that matter) is left unturned in their quest for international recognition. Most of the dazzling entertainment, however, is still imported. That’s right, the West is coming to the East. From the majestic tones of Andrea Bocelli to the dance-ravaged hits of the Black Eyed Peas, the lure of the unknown and gallons of petrol money does wonders to entice foreign celebrities to perform in a desert with the world's largest sand castle (currently under construction). So there you have it. A trip to remember or one you'll be telling your therapist (and possibly immigration officers) about for years to come. Either way, the desert is calling, your camel awaits, and your sandy adventure begins! Let's hope it's not a mirage.