Saudi traveler completes walking tour of Gulf
RIYADH: Saudi traveler Nasser Al-Qahtani has finally ended a long journey which involved walking to the capitals of all six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.
Al-Qahtani’s trip began in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province, and saw him walk to Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman in several stages. The last stage of the tour ended at the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the GCC in Riyadh.
In a statement reported by the Makkah newspaper, Al-Qahtani said he began to think and prepare for the trip a long time ago. It involved visiting the most prominent and historical GCC sights, and meeting with members of the community to familiarize them with his trip and its goals. His aim was also to promote a culture of walking in Gulf societies.
Al-Qahtani noted that he received a warm welcome, support, and hospitality from official authorities across the GCC states and members of GCC communities.
The trip covered a distance of 1,900 kilometers, allowing Al-Qahtani to visit Gulf capitals over a period of 28.5 days. He traveled an average of 50-80 kilometers per day, visiting historical and heritage tourist sites along the way.
He said he was also honored to meet with ministers in GCC states and Saudi ambassadors across the GCC. He especially thanked Prince Sultan bin Salman, president of Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage, for his support of the initiative.
Al-Qahtani said he aimed to encourage unity between members of the GCC. He also promoted the slogan “do not leave an impact,” which aimed to promote awareness about the importance of protecting the environment in general, and tourist sites in particular.
The trips were taken separately, with routes including the Eastern Province to Kuwait, and the Al-Bathaa District Mosque in Riyadh to the Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi.
Al-Qahtani said he is currently looking to create a book that documents his journey to the Gulf states.
He is also planning to complete his trip by foot to the Kingdom’s different cities and governorates. He has visited nine different areas in the Kingdom 26 times, including four trips to perform Haj.
He is the process of visiting other areas soon, as well as visiting the Yemeni capital of Sanaa to cover the Arabian Peninsula.