The Reading / Listening - Saudi Arabia - Level 1

Saudi Arabia is a new world tourist destination. It has opened its doors to tourists. People from 49 different countries can get visas. They take just seven minutes to get online. Saudi believes it has huge potential to be a top tourism destination. It has natural attractions, World Heritage sites, beaches and unique cultures. Saudi wants to get money from different industries, not just oil. It wants 10 per cent of its money to come from tourism by 2030.

Tourists can stay in Saudi for a maximum of 90 days a year. They can go many times in that year. Non-Muslims cannot visit the holy sites of Mecca and Medina. A spokesman explained the importance of tourism. He said: "Opening Saudi Arabia to...tourists is a historic moment....Businesses from around the world will establish operations within the Kingdom as its unique attractions, culture and natural beauty become more widely [valued]."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Saudi Arabia - Level 0 Saudi Arabia - Level 2   or  Saudi Arabia - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.wsj.com/articles/saudi-arabia-opens-kingdom-to-foreign-tourists-11569586198
  • https://www.arabnews.com/node/1560631/saudi-arabia
  • http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/article/578331


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. a new world tourist
  2. It has opened its doors
  3. People from 49
  4. They take just seven minutes
  5. it has huge
  6. It has natural
  7. World
  8. money from different industries
  1. different countries
  2. not just oil
  3. potential
  4. to tourists
  5. Heritage sites
  6. destination
  7. attractions
  8. to get online

Paragraph 2

  1. stay in Saudi for a maximum
  2. visit the holy sites
  3. Opening Saudi Arabia
  4. a historic
  5. Businesses from around the
  6. establish operations within
  7. natural
  8. become more widely
  1. to tourists
  2. beauty
  3. of 90 days
  4. valued
  5. the Kingdom
  6. of Mecca
  7. moment
  8. world

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Saudi Arabia is a (1) ___________________ destination. It has opened its (2) ___________________. People from 49 different countries can get visas. They (3) ___________________ minutes to get online. Saudi believes it has (4) ___________________ be a top tourism destination. It has natural attractions, World Heritage sites, beaches (5) ___________________. Saudi wants to get money from different industries, not just oil. It wants 10 per cent of its (6) ___________________ from tourism by 2030.

Tourists can stay in Saudi (7) ___________________ of 90 days a year. They can go ()8 ___________________ that year. Non-Muslims cannot visit (9) ___________________ of Mecca and Medina. A spokesman explained the importance of tourism. He said: "Opening Saudi Arabia (10) ___________________ a historic moment....Businesses from around the (11) ___________________ operations within the Kingdom as its unique attractions, culture and natural beauty (12) ___________________ [valued]."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

SaudiArabiaisanewworldtouristdestination.Ithasopeneditsdoorstot
ourists.Peoplefrom49differentcountriescangetvisas.Theytakejustse
venminutestogetonline.Saudibelievesithashugepotentialtobeatopt
ourismdestination.Ithasnaturalattractions,WorldHeritagesites,beac
hesanduniquecultures.Saudiwantstogetmoneyfromdifferentindustr
ies,notjustoil.Itwants10percentofitsmoneytocomefromtourismby2
030.TouristscanstayinSaudiforamaximumof90daysayear.Theycang
omanytimesinthatyear.Non-MuslimscannotvisittheholysitesofMec
caandMedina.Aspokesmanexplainedtheimportanceoftourism.Hesai
d:"OpeningSaudiArabiato...touristsisahistoricmoment....Businesse
sfromaroundtheworldwillestablishoperationswithintheKingdomasit
suniqueattractions,cultureandnaturalbeautybecomemorewidely[va
lued]."

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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