'White oil': Saudi Arabia seeks place on tourism map Gazing at a shimmering salt pan below, a group of first-time Saudi hikers descended craggy slopes into a volcanic crater, part of a hidden trove of natural wonders being promoted to kickstart tourism. Saudi Arabia will soon begin issuing tourist visas, opening up one of the last frontiers of global tourism -- a sector touted as the desert kingdom's "white oil" -- as it steps up diversification efforts to wean itself off its crude oil dependence. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES