The business of letting strangers into your home: Meet Saudi Arabia's HiHome
Most travel keeps you at arm's length from a place - you observe it, photograph it, pass through it. Something else happened on a trip to Cuba, when the journey led Alsadoun not to a hotel but into a stranger's home. "I wasn't just visiting places or seeing the usual tourist attractions," she says. "I was sitting with a local family, sharing food, having conversations, and getting a glimpse into…
In 2019, Saudi Arabia began issuing tourist visas, marking a historic shift. Amidst this change, Alsadoun Alsadoun launched HiHome, a platform allowing visitors to stay in Saudi families' homes instead of hotels. The idea stemmed from a personal trip to Cuba where she stayed with a local family, experiencing their daily life which she found far more enriching than typical tourist attractions.
This led her to question why tourists in Saudi Arabia must stay in hotels when they could be invited into homes. HiHome's first host was Alsadoun's own father, who agreed despite initial concerns about the unconventional concept. However, the Covid-19 pandemic brought the business to a standstill, testing its very foundation. Once reopened, people sought deeper connections rather than just destinations.
Saudi hospitality, governed by hafawah - a generosity that disdains return, posed a challenge as some hosts were uncomfortable with payment. The business model can't be built on mass scale as it relies on personal connections and understanding of hosts' personalities, families, and comfort levels. HiHome's success relies on authenticity, where hosts and guests co-create experiences that challenge preconceived notions about Saudi Arabia.
The venture is part of the Vision 2030 changes, but HiHome focuses on the intimate, human aspect rather than competing with the state-backed tourism developments.
Written by urgent.news from Gulf News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
