RIYADH: As Saudi Arabia welcomes a growing number of international visitors, locals are opening their homes to tourists, offering firsthand glimpses of daily life, traditions and hospitality beyond the Kingdom’s national museums and historic sites.
Among them is Norah Al-Baloud who welcomes guests at her home in Riyadh with Saudi coffee, traditional dishes and a collection of historical artifacts from the Najd region.
“A tourist who lives the experience remembers it completely differently from visiting a museum or reading a book,” Al-Baloud told Arab News.
“Once they experience it themselves, it becomes engraved in their memory.”
Al-Baloud uses the online platform Hihome to advertise the tours and since 2024 has welcomed guests from the UK and France among other countries.
