Religious tourism: the white gold of Saudi Arabia

With global oil prices flailing, Saudi Arabia is turning to another natural resource: billions of dollars gained from religious tourism as the kingdom hosts the annual hajj pilgrimage.Shops line the packed esplanade of the Great Mosque of Mecca, one of the holiest sites in Islam, lowering their awnings only at prayer time and re-opening their doors minutes after the mosque empties.Saudi authorities have reported 2.35 million Muslims are participating in this year's hajj, the pilgrimage to the we