Saudi Arabia showcases $550bn tourism plan after welcoming 93.5m visitors last year

[MenInG]

saudi Arabia is sharing details of its tourism success story at ITB Berlin, the world’s biggest travel show and convention.

Celebrating key milestones in its tourism growth story, the Kingdom has revealed there were 93.5m visits in 2022 and international tourism has increased 121% on pre-pandemic levels.

Since opening to tourism in 2019, Saudi Arabia has been recognised as the world’s fastest-growing tourism destination in the G20.

As the world’s biggest investor in tourism, Saudi has committed $550bn to new destinations by 2030.

As the largest exhibitor at this year’s edition of ITB Berlin, a record number of partners for Saudi are promoting trips, excursions, hotels, packages and cruises in the Kingdom.

Highlights include the preservation of heritage and history, with a $50.6bn masterplan to transform Diriyah, a 300-year-old city and birthplace of the nation.

In 2023, Red Sea Global will debut its first hotel openings: Six Senses, St. Regis, and Nujama – a Ritz-Carlton Reserve.

Participation at ITB Berlin is a commitment to the European market as the Saudi Tourism Authority increases its presence to facilitate trade development.

Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO and Member of the Board of STA, said: “Saudi is growing at the speed of light, transforming at a scale and pace the world has never witnessed before.

“Last year, we recorded 93.5 million domestic and international visits and in January this year achieved a record number of inbound overnight visitors.

“We continue to gain momentum on this growth journey and it is critical that we inspire and engage our partners to join us as we reinforce our commitment to the sector globally.”

The Gulf nation aims to increase international air connectivity from 140 cities to 250 cities by 2030 as it welcomes more visitors to the country.

The Kingdom is creating increased travel options and competitiveness to expand consumer choice and drive down costs. An partnership with Wizz Air launched 24 new routes from Europe to KSA and in January 2023, the first-ever free 96-hour stopover visa was launched through national carriers SAUDIA and flynas.

In 2022, the Kingdom extended eVisa regulations to GCC countries and visas on arrival to holders of valid US, UK, and Schengen visas.

https://www.arabianbusiness.com/ind...m-plan-after-welcoming-95m-visitors-last-year

 

[MenInG]

Of course Saudi has seen tremendous development in terms of City infrastructure etc - so buildings of the type you see in Dubai (but not to that level yet)

However the real benefit of the new Saudi opening up to the world is in the outdoors.

So stuff like this

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attract...Edge_Of_The_World-Riyadh_Riyadh_Province.html

 

[gazza619]

Mouth watering numbers.

 

[cricketjoshila]

Saudi will have to relax laws and create tourist enclaves. It has same potential as Dubai.

Dubai has become an excellent place. A number of my friends have been attending Dubai property conclaves in India and buying houses.

 

[Bhaijaan]

I was in Saudi this last month and must say the country is nothing like what i thought and seems to be transforming rapidly.

Spending evenings at the Jeddah corniche was the best part. It was nice seeing the Saudis bringing their families creating a great picnic environment, little kids playing football wearing Ronaldo jerseys.

 

[MenInG]

Saudi will have to relax laws and create tourist enclaves. It has same potential as Dubai.

Dubai has become an excellent place. A number of my friends have been attending Dubai property conclaves in India and buying houses.

They have done a lot.

You now have huge concerts etc - stuff that you could not have imagined.

 

[cricketjoshila]

They have done a lot.

You now have huge concerts etc - stuff that you could not have imagined.

Is it through out the country or are there separate tourist spots?

 

[SpiritOf1903]

Custodians of Islam trying to turn it in to Disneyland.

Free Palestine, innit?.

Meanwhile they've created a chess game in Yemen and destroyed the place Prophet SAW personally prayed for

 

[karthikc]

Custodians of Islam trying to turn it in to Disneyland.

Free Palestine, innit?.

Meanwhile they've created a chess game in Yemen and destroyed the place Prophet SAW personally prayed for

If they don't do that they will go back to stone age once oil reserves dry up. Mohammad Bin Salman is pragmatic and sensible

 

[the Great Khan]

Custodians of Islam trying to turn it in to Disneyland.

Free Palestine, innit?.

Meanwhile they've created a chess game in Yemen and destroyed the place Prophet SAW personally prayed for

Now they are building a Kaaba of entertainment...wah wah.

Looks like idol worshipping will return to the land of Prophet pbuh as predicted.

 

[KingKhanWC]

If they don't do that they will go back to stone age once oil reserves dry up. Mohammad Bin Salman is pragmatic and sensible

It will be more than 50 years before this occurs. Who knows what the planet will be like by then, very probable a nuclear war will have taken place by then.

Saudis simply have so much money, they can spend it on what they wish.

The real reason for these new ventures is soft power and to make even more money inc being able to provide more jobs for residents. Not to mention it gives the Princes more clout and makes them look like even bigger playboys.

 

[shaz619]

Custodians of Islam trying to turn it in to Disneyland.

Free Palestine, innit?.

Meanwhile they've created a chess game in Yemen and destroyed the place Prophet SAW personally prayed for

I don’t think the Prince is a raving Wahabi like his predecessors

 

[Major]

Custodians of Islam trying to turn it in to Disneyland.

Free Palestine, innit?.

Meanwhile they've created a chess game in Yemen and destroyed the place Prophet SAW personally prayed for

reasons why Pakistan has been held back, because of this thinking. We think we are the custodians of Islam thus, have destroyed the country and are begging money.

Meanwhile, Saudia identified that they will run out of oil, so why not adapt. They built a terrorism industry out of scratch. Countries like Pakistan have tourist places yet we dont know how to monetize it.

There is nothing anti Islam in it. Even pre islamic days or early islamic days, Makkah would rely on the pilgrimages to do trade with them an earn money.

 

[Major]

Now they are building a Kaaba of entertainment...wah wah.

Looks like idol worshipping will return to the land of Prophet pbuh as predicted.

you do know that the Kaaba residents thrived on the pilgrimages bringing in money and doing trade right during early islamic days?

You cannot bash economic activity, especially knowing the situation of Pakistan currently.

I find it hilarious, any good thing happening in Saudia. The Pakistanis living in Pakistan and living in West will be the first one condemn it. Like if Saudia allow concerts, you already have concerts in Pakistan and in west, and many posters here do clubbing and all, but no why did Saudia allowed their people?

Countries have to survive, not every country is as idiotic as Pakistan.

The other day, pictures of greenary were shown on fb in Saudi Arabia, and the Pakistani commentators had gone crazy that this is one of the signs of day of judgement and that this greenary is bad.

Like, these people dont understand the deset conditions of Arab, and here we have them judging and bashing its greenary or any progress in that land. This thinking reflects on our leaders aswell (all parties), thus, we are a mess today.

Pakistan under Imran or Shebaz, when they beg Saudia, Saudia will give us money from the same pool they generated from tourism.. So no Pakistan should be critisizing this in the name of Islam for gods sakes.

 

[Champ_Pal]

MBS knows that the age of oil will come to an end eventually. He is a smart leader. He wants Saudis to follow UAE model.
Once Liquor is allowed, tourists will flock to Saudi land too.

 

[Buffet]

Meanwhile, Saudia identified that they will run out of oil, so why not adapt. They built a terrorism industry out of scratch.

I think Saudi made a decision to move away from terror industry consciously. Support for terrorist groups have gone down if not stopped completely.

That was a good decision and no country should focus on terror industry.

 

[SalimBhai]

93 million seems a very big number

 

[Major]

I think Saudi made a decision to move away from terror industry consciously. Support for terrorist groups have gone down if not stopped completely.

That was a good decision and no country should focus on terror industry.

good point.

Terrorism spread due to the wahabi ideology and saudia was sponsering Wahabia Madrassahs in Pakistan. In every town there was a Wahabi madrassa and people likeHaid Gul made sure that bus service was provided directly near one of them.

Since Saudi govt limited this sponsoring of wahabism spread worldwide, terrorism has well indeed gone down.

Anyways, for many of Pakistani brethern, its better if the custodians of Islam live in stone age times with zero economy rather than become modern

 

[SalimBhai]

It’s all very good. Hopefully they can also invest in sciences and produce some nobel prize winners in science down the road . They have had the capital to invest in the science for decades.

 

[mmkextreme_1]

How many of the 93.5M were Muslims going to Mecca and Madinah?

 

[KingKhanWC]

good point.

Terrorism spread due to the wahabi ideology and saudia was sponsering Wahabia Madrassahs in Pakistan. In every town there was a Wahabi madrassa and people likeHaid Gul made sure that bus service was provided directly near one of them.

Since Saudi govt limited this sponsoring of wahabism spread worldwide, terrorism has well indeed gone down.

Anyways, for many of Pakistani brethern, its better if the custodians of Islam live in stone age times with zero economy rather than become modern

Saudi has had modern buildings, transport and services for years now. Have you ever been to Saudi?

 

[saeedhk]

A majority of Pakistanis on social media believe that in order to be a good Muslim, you should be poor as dirt. Whenever there is a news related to Arab development, technology or tourism, Pakistanis inundate the comments section with hate and condemnation messages. It totally boggles my mind! I really believe that many Pakistanis are anti-development and anti-technology.

 

[Romali_rotti]

This is excellent news, Bin Salman has been a breath of fresh air for the world. He has realised that just reading the Quran and praying 5 times a day won't help the Saudi Arabs to keep up with rest of the world that is moving at such a fast pace..

 

[SalimBhai]

If the Prince had not had the Journalist killed, can you imagine the princes image in the world right now. He will be king for next 50-60 years Imagine with a positive image what he could have achieved and how the world would have remembered him

 

[MenInG]

Will Brown, a Dubai-based global-risk executive who has been traveling to Riyadh for work for almost seven years, has started to notice a change on his two-hour flight to the Saudi capital. Rather than the usual cohort of males who make up the overwhelming demographic of professionals commuting to Saudi Arabia, there are now women and children on board.

"The plane isn't just middle-aged white dudes flying in on a Sunday, you're starting to see people move with their families," said Brown, 49, who usually travels to Riyadh for the kingdom's Sunday-Thursday working week.

Brown and his family will soon make the move to Riyadh full time, because his employer Control Risks, a global risk consultancy firm, is setting up its regional headquarters there.

The firm wants to comply with recent Saudi rules that restrict state entities from doing business with international companies that do not have their regional HQs in the country by January 2024, even if that may require a step back in terms of quality of life for its staff.

The new measures are intended to attract foreign investment and workers. They are part of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's ambition to open the country to international markets, putting the capital among the world's 10 largest city economies and doubling its population to at least 15 million by 2030 - despite many traditional barriers related to the kingdom's strict interpretation of Islamic law.

The push has not gone unnoticed in Dubai, the Middle East's main business and tourism hub, which has long been the default option for expatriates.

As of end 2022, almost 80 companies have applied for licenses to move their headquarters to Riyadh, Saudi Investment Minister Khalid Al-Falih said in a recent interview, adding the city would become "the grand capital of the Middle East, politically and economically."

Question Marks

But the big question is whether Riyadh is ready from an infrastructure, housing, lifestyle and even administrative standpoint for an influx of foreign white-collar workers and their families. Equally, a question mark hangs over whether people will be prepared to abandon the relatively freer and more cosmopolitan - albeit more expensive - Dubai to move there.

Saudi Arabia lags behind Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates as a desirable destination for expats, according to an HSBC ranking.

Oil-rich Saudi Arabia certainly doesn't lack the money to make the necessary changes, but evidence so far suggests there's a long way to go.

Despite recent easing of some rules, alcohol, extramarital relations and homosexuality are punishable "moral crimes," and there are limited options when it comes to western-style residential areas and international schools.

And while football star Cristiano Ronaldo has been allowed to live with his girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez after he joined a Saudi soccer team last year, few others are awarded the same privilege. Foreigners also complain about the length of time it takes to secure a work visa, even while tourism passes are easier to obtain.

Teething Issues

"There are infrastructure challenges and that's where the teething issues are going to be, making sure there's enough housing available, water, whether the road system can take it and so on," said Metin Mitchell, who heads an executive recruitment firm that has been working in Saudi Arabia since 1995.

Glitzy and futuristic real-estate projects in and around Riyadh like the Mukaab - billed as "the world's first immersive, experiential destination" that will house commercial, residential, retail and cultural spaces - have been announced this year but the much-awaited masterplan for Riyadh's expansion has been delayed multiple times.

A metro system, which was set to be completed by 2019, has yet to open. Signs of trouble are also evident in the recent firing of the head of the Royal Commission for Riyadh City, the entity responsible for implementing the masterplan, suggesting frustration by the crown prince over a lack of progress.

The RCRC didn't respond to multiple requests for comment, though the Minister of Economy and Planning Faisal Alibrahim told Bloomberg TV: "Riyadh is ready today and it will be ready tomorrow when more people come in."

Housing Hunt

On the ground, a looming housing deficit in Riyadh has significantly pushed up rental costs. Annual payments for a two-bedroom apartment in one of Riyadh's better neighborhoods has gone up by almost 12% over the past year to about SAR 181,000 ($48,260), according to Faisal Durrani, partner and head of Middle East research at Knight Frank, a global real-estate brokerage and consultancy firm.

He explained that's due to a number of factors: more foreign professionals moving to Riyadh, limited availability in the housing compounds favored by Westerners due to relaxed dress rules, gyms and swimming pools, and a growing trend among young Saudis to move for job opportunities.

It's also become harder for candidates for jobs in Saudi Arabia to demand extravagant salaries in return for moving, reducing the incentive to go. A slowing global economy and massive layoffs at some international companies are giving both Saudi and multinational employers more leverage, according to Chris Rea, associate director at recruitment firm Michael Page's Saudi practice.

"It's no longer a case of 'I want a 50% increase to move' - anyone who says that is pretty much a 'no' at the moment," said Rea, adding that employees moving to Riyadh from Dubai could still get pay raises of 20%-25%.

A senior producer with the Saudi-owned media company MBC Group, which plans to relocate most of its staff from Dubai to its new headquarters in Riyadh by 2024, said he and others are getting salary increases of at least 35% to 40% and guarantees they'll keep their jobs for five years - yet still many are dreading the move.

In Dubai you are an expatriate like the majority of people, but in Riyadh you have to deal with a local mindset, the producer said, declining to be named in order to speak freely about his concerns.

Most expatriates will not be ready for the kind of lifestyle Riyadh entails, said a European woman who recruits for the kingdom's expanding hospitality market. She moved to the Saudi capital from Dubai a year ago and cites being unable to practice Christianity freely and a blanket ban on alcohol as factors.

Much Has Changed

Still, much has changed in Saudi Arabia. Women have joined the workforce in droves after Crown Prince Mohammed abolished strict dress codes, gender segregation and driving and travel restrictions. He has also curbed the power of the ultraconservative religious establishment that sought to impose its edicts by force on everyone, citizens and non-citizens.

But at the same time foreigners coming to Saudi Arabia must remember that any criticism of the leadership and system can lead to expulsion, prison or worse. The UAE imposes similar freedom-of-expression restrictions, but has decriminalized cohabitation, allowed civil marriage and ended fees for liquor licenses.

As Dubai becomes a more tolerant city, moving to Riyadh may seem a downgrade.

For others there are complications of another kind.

Brown, the Control Risks executive who is planning to move there over the next year, is trying to figure out a way to take his dogs with him: a Husky, a Saluki and a mixed-breed.

Bringing pets to Riyadh is far more restrictive than Dubai.

NDTV

 

[daytrader]

Saudi Arabia says LGBTQ visitors are now welcome

As Saudi Arabia continues its drive to attract tourists, authorities in the country appear to be reaching out to a particularly lucrative section of the market: LGBTQ travelers.

The website of the Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) seems to have had its Q&A section updated to state that gay visitors are welcome in the kingdom.

“Everyone is welcome to visit Saudi Arabia and visitors are not asked to disclose such personal details,” is the website’s response to the question on its FAQ page: “Are LGBT visitors welcome to visit Saudi Arabia?”

It is not known exactly when the website was updated. A spokesperson for the STA said the policy had previously been in place, but an archived version of the website on March 14, 2023 and before did not have the question and answer on the page.

Same-sex sexual activity is an offense in Saudi Arabia, according to Human Rights Watch.

According to the Human Dignity Trust, which campaigns for the rights of LGBT people around the world, trans people can also face prosecution in Saudi, with “substantial evidence of the law being enforced” and “consistent reports of discrimination and violence” against LGBTQ people.

LGBTQ+ travelers are a lucrative market, according to Darren Burn, CEO of Out Of Office, a luxury travel planning service for the community, and of Travel Gay, the world’s largest LGBTQ+ travel platform.

“Research shows they spend more money in a destination than heterosexual couples, and tend to travel more times a year,” he told CNN.

“It’s a very interesting and lucrative demographic, and countries are plowing major revenue into [attracting] it.”

...
https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/saudi-arabia-lgbt-tourists/index.html

 

[MenInG]

Saudi Arabia says LGBTQ visitors are now welcome

As Saudi Arabia continues its drive to attract tourists, authorities in the country appear to be reaching out to a particularly lucrative section of the market: LGBTQ travelers.

The website of the Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) seems to have had its Q&A section updated to state that gay visitors are welcome in the kingdom.

“Everyone is welcome to visit Saudi Arabia and visitors are not asked to disclose such personal details,” is the website’s response to the question on its FAQ page: “Are LGBT visitors welcome to visit Saudi Arabia?”

It is not known exactly when the website was updated. A spokesperson for the STA said the policy had previously been in place, but an archived version of the website on March 14, 2023 and before did not have the question and answer on the page.

Same-sex sexual activity is an offense in Saudi Arabia, according to Human Rights Watch.

According to the Human Dignity Trust, which campaigns for the rights of LGBT people around the world, trans people can also face prosecution in Saudi, with “substantial evidence of the law being enforced” and “consistent reports of discrimination and violence” against LGBTQ people.

LGBTQ+ travelers are a lucrative market, according to Darren Burn, CEO of Out Of Office, a luxury travel planning service for the community, and of Travel Gay, the world’s largest LGBTQ+ travel platform.

“Research shows they spend more money in a destination than heterosexual couples, and tend to travel more times a year,” he told CNN.

“It’s a very interesting and lucrative demographic, and countries are plowing major revenue into [attracting] it.”

...
https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/saudi-arabia-lgbt-tourists/index.html

Big news this.

 

[prakash]

93 million seems a very big number

Highly exaggerated number. The most visited country France had 80 million visitors. SA had 17 million including Hajj and Umrah pilgrims. Don't know how they came up with such a big number of 93 million.

 

[Hitman]

Saudi Arabia says LGBTQ visitors are now welcome

As Saudi Arabia continues its drive to attract tourists, authorities in the country appear to be reaching out to a particularly lucrative section of the market: LGBTQ travelers.

The website of the Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) seems to have had its Q&A section updated to state that gay visitors are welcome in the kingdom.

“Everyone is welcome to visit Saudi Arabia and visitors are not asked to disclose such personal details,” is the website’s response to the question on its FAQ page: “Are LGBT visitors welcome to visit Saudi Arabia?”

It is not known exactly when the website was updated. A spokesperson for the STA said the policy had previously been in place, but an archived version of the website on March 14, 2023 and before did not have the question and answer on the page.

Same-sex sexual activity is an offense in Saudi Arabia, according to Human Rights Watch.

According to the Human Dignity Trust, which campaigns for the rights of LGBT people around the world, trans people can also face prosecution in Saudi, with “substantial evidence of the law being enforced” and “consistent reports of discrimination and violence” against LGBTQ people.

LGBTQ+ travelers are a lucrative market, according to Darren Burn, CEO of Out Of Office, a luxury travel planning service for the community, and of Travel Gay, the world’s largest LGBTQ+ travel platform.

“Research shows they spend more money in a destination than heterosexual couples, and tend to travel more times a year,” he told CNN.

“It’s a very interesting and lucrative demographic, and countries are plowing major revenue into [attracting] it.”

...
https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/saudi-arabia-lgbt-tourists/index.html

That's the way to go.

 

[AamchiMumbaikar]

Saudi Arabia says LGBTQ visitors are now welcome

As Saudi Arabia continues its drive to attract tourists, authorities in the country appear to be reaching out to a particularly lucrative section of the market: LGBTQ travelers.

The website of the Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) seems to have had its Q&A section updated to state that gay visitors are welcome in the kingdom.

“Everyone is welcome to visit Saudi Arabia and visitors are not asked to disclose such personal details,” is the website’s response to the question on its FAQ page: “Are LGBT visitors welcome to visit Saudi Arabia?”

It is not known exactly when the website was updated. A spokesperson for the STA said the policy had previously been in place, but an archived version of the website on March 14, 2023 and before did not have the question and answer on the page.

Same-sex sexual activity is an offense in Saudi Arabia, according to Human Rights Watch.

According to the Human Dignity Trust, which campaigns for the rights of LGBT people around the world, trans people can also face prosecution in Saudi, with “substantial evidence of the law being enforced” and “consistent reports of discrimination and violence” against LGBTQ people.

LGBTQ+ travelers are a lucrative market, according to Darren Burn, CEO of Out Of Office, a luxury travel planning service for the community, and of Travel Gay, the world’s largest LGBTQ+ travel platform.

“Research shows they spend more money in a destination than heterosexual couples, and tend to travel more times a year,” he told CNN.

“It’s a very interesting and lucrative demographic, and countries are plowing major revenue into [attracting] it.”

...
https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/saudi-arabia-lgbt-tourists/index.html

This is big. How are Saudi nationals and orthodox locals reacting to all these?

 

[AamchiMumbaikar]

If they allow other religion worship places and liquor, that will complete the circle.

But then again there could be a khomeini waiting somewhere to take over next

 

[SalimBhai]

Highly exaggerated number. The most visited country France had 80 million visitors. SA had 17 million including Hajj and Umrah pilgrims. Don't know how they came up with such a big number of 93 million.

I agree

 

[SalimBhai]

If MBS had not gotten that journalist killed he would have been man of the year or the decade. He would have been the darling of the west.

 

[hoshiarpurexpress]

This is big. How are Saudi nationals and orthodox locals reacting to all these?

Before that British Pakistanis will have a meltdown

 

[Hitman]

Before that British Pakistanis will have a meltdown

It's hilarious, isn't it?

 

[aboveandbeyond]

British Pakistanis continue to live rent free in some heads.

 

[The Bald Eagle]

550 bn $ had been the part of ambitious Saudi vision 2030. They are really dead series in waning their reliance on oil economy. This ambitious tourism plan would help them realize that goal & vision.

 

[SpiritOf1903]

It's hilarious, isn't it?

Look after your women who can't be in public alone. Holi Holi eh