Laura Alho | |
---|---|
Born | Finland |
Nationality | Finnish |
Occupation(s) | Travel blogger Writer |
Employer | Royal Commission for Al-'Ula |
Children | 2 [1] |
Parent |
|
Website | www |
Laura Alho is a Finnish-origin, Riyadh-based travel blogger, writer and photographer. [2] She is the founder of Blue Abaya, the first travel blog in Saudi Arabia, which she launched in 2010. [3] Her work as a writer and photographer has been published in various magazines and media outlets, including National Geographic , Saudi Gazette and Arab News . [4] She is also the first European woman to have received her driving license in Saudi Arabia. [5] [6]
After completing her graduation, Laura started working as a nurse in her home country. She wanted to become a wildlife photographer as a child and study Egyptology but ended up in the medical field. [7] She moved to Saudi Arabia in 2008 on a short-term assignment. She started blogging as a hobby, but travel writing became a full-time job. [8]
In 2010, she launched her website called Blue Abaya, when she witnessed a lack of channels informing people about tourism in Saudi Arabia. The name Blue Abaya came from the blue color of Finland's flag and Abaya, a full-length outer garment worn by women in Saudi Arabia. The website was started with the purpose of promoting Saudi tourism and heritage sites to audiences worldwide. The website garnered millions of views from across the world. [2]
Her blog has won several blog awards, including Best Saudi Arabia Expat Blog 2012, [9] Best Asian & Middle Eastern Weblog 2013 at The Weblog Awards (Bloggies). [10]
In 2014, Ahlo was a finalist in the Saudi Excellence in Tourism Awards (SETA) as the best website promoting tourism. In 2017, she was named one of the top 10 most influential expats residing in the Arab world who brought positive change. [2] [11] In 2021, Laura was named 'Travel Media Influencer of the Year' at The Wanderlust Travel Awards by Wanderlust magazine. [12]
Laura Alho has written guidebooks and travel guides about Saudi Arabia [2] and also has authored two books, Ultimate Guide to Edge of the World and Guide to Secret Lake in Riyadh. [4] She works in the marketing department of the Royal Commission for Al-'Ula (RCU). [13]
She is married to a Saudi with whom she has two kids. [1]
Sultan bin Salman Al Saud is a Saudi prince and former Royal Saudi Air Force pilot who flew aboard the American STS-51-G Space Shuttle mission as a payload specialist. He is the first member of a royal family to fly in space, the first Arab to fly in space, and the first Muslim to fly in space, as well as the youngest person ever to fly on the Space Shuttle. On 27 December 2018, he was appointed as chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Space Commission at the rank of minister. He is the eldest surviving son of King Salman.
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Al-Ula is an ancient Arabic oasis city located in Medina Province, Saudi Arabia. Situated in the Hejaz, a region that features prominently in the history of Islam as well as several pre-Islamic Semitic civilizations, al-‘Ulā was a market city on the historic incense route that linked India and the Persian Gulf to the Levant and Europe.
Saudi Arabia is the second biggest tourist destination in the Middle East with over 16 million visiting in 2017. Although most tourism in Saudi Arabia still largely involves religious pilgrimages, there is growth in the leisure tourism sector. As the tourism sector has been largely boosted lately, the sector is expected to be the white oil for Saudi Arabia. This is proved as tourism sector is expected to generate $25 billion in 2019. Potential tourist areas include the Hijaz and Sarawat Mountains, Red Sea diving and a number of ancient ruins.
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Saudi Arabia–Thailand relations refers to the current and historical relations between Saudi Arabia and Thailand. Saudi Arabia has an embassy in Bangkok and Thailand has an embassy in Riyadh but representation is at the chargé d'affaires rather than ambassadorial level. However Saudi Arabia and Thailand aim to restore the relations between their two nations. Relations between the two countries were established in 1957 and hundreds of thousands of Thais went to Saudi Arabia to work. The historically friendly and strategic partnership between Saudi Arabia and Thailand has deteriorated significantly following the Blue Diamond Affair. Although regardless of relation status, Saudi Arabia and Thailand have high trade between two nations. In recent years Saudi Arabia and Thailand have shown intent to repair the relations between the two kingdoms. On 26 January 2022, both countries announced they restored full diplomatic relations and would appoint ambassadors.
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Women's sport in Saudi Arabia has been a controversial topic for many years due to the suppression of female participation in sport by conservative Islamic religious authorities.
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Raif bin Muhammad Badawi is a Saudi writer, dissident and activist, as well as the creator of the website Free Saudi Liberals.
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Laurence Norah is a British / Seychellois travel photographer and blogger.
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The Ministry of Tourism, before 2020 as the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH), till 2015 as the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) and prior to 2008 as the Supreme Commission for Tourism (SCT), is a government ministry in Saudi Arabia that is concerned with the tourism sector of the country. Established in the year 2000 through a royal decree by King Fahd, it was transformed into a ministry in 2020.
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Hadeel Alhodaif was a pioneering Saudi blogger.