The reinvention of the Saudi economy is going slower than planned

WERE IT NOTPIF for the ubiquitous photos of the royal family, visitors to Abha might forget they were in Saudi Arabia. Gnarled juniper trees dot green mountains; mist clings to valleys where farmers grow crops and raise honeybees on terraced fields. Troops of baboons line the roads, foraging for food and occasionally stealing bags from unsuspecting visitors.Saudis have long flocked to this city, 870km (541 miles) south-west of Riyadh, the capital, to escape the summer heat. Foreigners will soon discover it, too. The Public Investment Fund (), the main Saudi sovereign-wealth fund, has pledged 11bn rials ($2.9bn) to build 2,700 hotel rooms and dozens of tourist attractions in the region (pictured). By 2030 developers hope to draw 2m visitors annually.