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Saudi Arabia’s ambitious tourism projects attract foreign investment

Saudi Arabia | Tourism

Saudi Arabia is rolling out a broad tourism offering across the country as a central part of its Vision 2030 national transformation strategy. Following the launch of the tourist visa programme in September 2019 and the subsequent downturn associated with the Covid-19 pandemic, 2021 and 2022 have featured an ambitious calendar of events ranging from the Formula 1 Grand Prix, to arts and cultural festivals. In October 2021 the Ministry of Tourism announced a $1trn investment package for the sector over the next 10 years. This reflects the Kingdom’s ambitions to become one of the top tourist destinations both regionally and globally.

Leisure tourism offerings, with a particular focus on medium- and high-income tourists, are set to expand as a series of mega-project destinations come on-line through to 2030. Saudi Arabia is developing an array of destinations, tailored to the geographic and environmental variety of the country. Many of the Kingdom’s new tourism destinations are along the west coast, bringing newfound importance to this part of Saudi Arabia, following the previous development focus on the east as the centre of the energy economy.

The Kingdom’s new giga- and mega-projects are driving the sector’s growth, in addition to a series of projects focused on heritage and upgrading existing destinations. To facilitate the rapid growth of tourism, significant infrastructure is currently under development, including new hotels, commercial facilities and transport networks. The recent expansion of the tourism sector represents one of the most visible signs of the country’s transformation, in line with its efforts to attract more tourists and investment.

In addition to unlocking significant international tourism potential, one of the sector’s central aims is to capture the domestic tourism market while enhancing the quality of life of Saudi Arabia’s population through a range of new attractions. The industry is being seen as key to both creating more job opportunities for Saudi citizens and harnessing new revenue streams.

Structure & Oversight

There have been a number of structural changes as the tourism sector has grown and developed in recent years. In 2020 three new tourism entities were established to oversee the sector and support its expansion: the Ministry of Tourism, the Saudi Tourism Authority and the Tourism Development Fund. The Ministry of Tourism, formerly the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage, is responsible for defining strategy and policy in addition to regulating the sector. The Saudi Tourism Authority is responsible for promoting Saudi Arabia as a global tourism destination and developing the country’s tourism brand. The authority is also charged with developing the sector by building commercial partnerships and coordinating with local tourism destinations to attract more tourists to the country. The Tourism Development Fund, meanwhile, is responsible for executing the ministry’s investment strategy, which includes designing investment plans and providing funding for the sector. The fund has a $4bn endowment to invest in the sector and provides support for businesses operating in and seeking to enter the Saudi tourism market.

Diversification 

The country aims to make tourism one of the biggest industries after energy, with the national leadership viewing it as vital to the realisation of Vision 2030. The Kingdom has an official target to raise the contribution of the sector from 3% of GDP in 2016 to 10% by 2030. In 2022 public officials announced that the sector is expected to exceed this target and account for up to 15% of GDP by 2030.

The Kingdom has a target of 100m overnight visitors per year by 2030, 45% of which are expected to be domestic and 55% international. According to a 2022 report by Entrepreneurship Middle East, by 2030, 50% of tourists are expected to visit for leisure, 32% for religious tourism, 10% for visiting friends and family (VFR), and 9% for business tourism. In comparison, there were a total of 45m visits in 2019, 40% of which were leisure tourists, at approximately 18m, 38% religious tourists, 13% VFR tourists and 9% business tourists. In this breakdown, visits include any domestic or international tourist arrival, meaning that a single tourist may account for multiple visits to different locations. To accommodate these arrivals, the Kingdom seeks to add 500,000 hotel rooms across the country by 2030.

The tourism sector will also be highly important for job creation. In March 2022 Qusai Al Fakhri, CEO of the Tourism Development Fund, said at an event in Riyadh that the tourism sector is expected to create 1m new tourism jobs by 2030. New jobs in adjacent sectors such as construction and transport are also expected to be created as the sector expands.

Saudi Arabia’s National Tourism Strategy identified 10 key destinations in the Kingdom that present opportunities for investors across the tourism value chain. These are Jouf, Hail, Al Ula, Medina, Riyadh, Eastern Province, Jeddah, Taif, Al Baha and Aseer. Meanwhile, the Tourism Development Fund has identified six high-growth segments with opportunities for investors. These are tourism destinations and attractions, tourism and travel services, accommodation, tourism experiences and activities, food and beverages at tourist destinations, and tourism retail.

In February 2022 the Kingdom launched its Digital Tourism Strategy, designed to deliver the next stage of the sector’s expansion and development, and accelerate progress towards the goals of the National Tourism Strategy. The strategy aims to implement agile digital and technology procedures throughout the sector in order to provide tourists and stakeholders with a more seamless experience. The strategy focuses on a number of areas, including promoting a Kingdom-wide culture of innovation and future-proof regulations, pioneering new digital business models to increase market demand for service providers, and upskilling and reskilling the country’s tourism workforce. The strategy consists of nine programmes and 31 initiatives that are set to be implemented over a period of three years.

In line with job creation, human capital is an important strategic focus for the sector. In June 2022 the Ministry of Tourism launched a new programme that will see 100,000 Saudis trained in key hospitality skills needed for the tourism sector throughout 2022.

Size & Performance

Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector is forecast to grow by an average of 11% annually over the next decade, according to a 2022 report from the World Travel & Tourism Council, making it the fastest growing in the Middle East. As the world emerges from the pandemic, the tourism sector is seeing a return to growth and resuming the path towards expansion established in 2019. According to the Saudi Tourism Authority, the tourism sector accounted for 5.3% of GDP, with 836,000 jobs created as of 2022.

Record domestic travel was registered in 2021. In May 2022 Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO of the Saudi Tourism Authority, reported the country witnessed 62m tourist visits in 2021. Of this figure, 32.5m were domestic visits and 29.5m were international arrivals. Hamidaddin also noted that visits were up 130% in the first quarter of 2022 compared with the fourth quarter of 2019.

This performance has been supported by sustained efforts to finance expansion. In November 2021 the Tourism Development Fund told local press that between June 2020 and September 2021 it had deployed $533m, with an additional $1.1bn of funding coming from the private sector.

In the hotel industry, the number of branded keys reached approximately 61,400 in the first quarter of 2022, representing an increase of more than 4% compared to the same period in 2021, according to real estate consultancy Colliers. The firm expects the market to increase at a compound annual growth rate of 11% from 2022 to 2024, with an additional 23,300 keys expected to be added to the market. Moreover, the Kingdom moved up 10 places in the 2021 World Economic Forum Travel and Tourism Development Index, ranking 33rd compared to 43rd in 2019. The index covers some 117 countries.

A number of major global hotel chains have announced new expansion plans in the Kingdom. In June 2021 hotel group Accor announced it had 33 properties in the pipeline, with 10,060 keys to be added to its existing 39 properties in the Kingdom. Hilton also announced in 2021 that it had 46 hotels under development, which would add to its existing 15 hotels in the country. It plans to expand its operations to more than 75 properties over the next few years. IHG, meanwhile, announced in December 2021 that it had 23 hotels in the development pipeline, to add to the 37 hotels it already operates. The company’s developments are expected to open between 2025 and 2027.

Global property consultancy Knight Frank reported in 2022 that this was the biggest hotel supply pipeline ever seen in the region. The firm forecasts a 63.2% surge in four- and five-star hotel rooms by 2030.

Giga-projects

Growing demand for leisure tourism dovetails with the development of giga-projects. A number of these mega-developments are being purpose built for the domestic and international tourism markets. According to Knight Frank, giga-projects account for nearly 73% of the hotel supply pipeline.

In March 2022 NEOM – the $500bn smart and sustainable city project spearheaded by the Public Investment Fund on the north-west coast – announced a new global destination for mountain tourism called Trojena. Situated in the centre of NEOM, the year-round destination will consist of a ski village, a man-made freshwater lake, ultra-luxury family and wellness resorts, a nature reserve, retail stores and restaurants, and water sports and mountain biking activities. The project is expected to be completed by 2026 and attract 700,000 visitors and 7000 permanent residents by 2030. It is estimated the project will create more than 10,000 jobs and add $800m to GDP by 2030. Trojena’s climate is designed to be one of the project’s most attractive features. The average temperature throughout the year is 10 °C lower than other cities across the region and temperatures drop below zero in winter. The area is situated in a mountain range with peaks that reach 2600 metres.

Elsewhere in the Kingdom, phase one of The Red Sea Project is set for completion in 2024, and will include 16 hotels with 3000 rooms across four islands and two inland sites. The first three hotels are set to open in early 2023. Once the site is fully operational in 2030, the project is expected to include 50 hotels with 8000 hotel rooms and more than 1000 residential properties across 22 islands and six inland sites. It is forecast to contribute $5.9bn to GDP and cap visitors to 1m per year by 2030, in line with sustainability efforts. The 28,000-sq-km site on the west coast includes more than 90 islands, kilometres of desert dunes, dormant volcanoes and mountain landscapes.

Amaala, another giga-project under Vision 2030, is being constructed further north along the Red Sea coast. The family wellness destination will be composed of three parts: Triple Bay, The Coastal Development and The Island. Phase one of Triple Bay is under way and is set to be complete in 2024. It will consist of eight resorts offering upwards of 1300 hotel keys. As of September 2022 more than 300 contracts had been awarded, worth more than SR6.6bn ($1.8bn).

Once complete, Amaala will be home to more than 3000 hotel rooms across 25 hotels, and approximately 900 residential villas, apartments, and estate homes, alongside retail and dining establishments, wellness centres and recreational facilities.

Meanwhile, construction on Diriyah gate, the Kingdom’s $50bn heritage and tourism project, officially began in 2021. Located 15 minutes north-west of Riyadh’s city centre, the 7-sq-km development will be a mixed-use cultural, heritage and lifestyle destination with a series of luxury restaurants, hotels, residences, museums and cultural attractions. Diriyah’s buildings, inspired by traditional Arab architecture, will be in a pedestrianised zone. At its centre is the At-Turaif mudbrick city, the historic home of the Al Saud family and a UNESCO World Heritage site that has been preserved and restored over recent years. The project is set to have a phased opening starting in 2022 and continuing through to 2030. Diriyah is expected to put Riyadh on the global tourism map, with a target of 30m local and international visitors by 2030.

The Diriyah project will include 180,000 sq metres of retail space and 110,000 sq metres of office space, as well as more than 3000 luxury apartments, townhouses and villas. In December 2021 the first 14 of the project’s planned 38 hotel brands were announced. The development is expected to have a permanent population of 100,000 upon completion.

New Destinations

In April 2021 a new tourism master plan was announced for Al Ula, one of the country’s flagship tourist destinations located in north-west. Al Ula is home to ancient ruins, 2000-year-old rock-cut tombs, date farms, and a landscapes similar to the Petra archaeological site in Jordan and its neighbouring Wadi Rum desert. In 2008 UNESCO designated Hegra, a Nabataean archaeological site, also known as Mada’in Saleh, as Saudi Arabia’s first World Heritage site. The region is located along the historic incense route, a 2000-year-old trading route that transported frankincense and myrrh from Yemen and Oman to areas along the Mediterranean Sea.

Al Ula’s new master plan, Journey Through Time, aims to turn the area into a global destination for travellers focused on heritage, nature, art and culture. It envisages Al Ula becoming a living museum by showcasing 200,000 years of natural and human history. At the centre of the development will be a historical tram line inspired by the Hijaz Railway, that will connect five distinct districts across the area.

Al Ula officially opened to international travellers in 2020. In March 2021 Al Ula’s airport opened to international flights following an expansion project that quadrupled its capacity to 400,000 travellers a year. Much larger expansions of the airport are due to be implemented in the coming years to facilitate an expected influx of visitors. In February 2022 Amr Al Madani, the CEO of the Royal Commission for Al Ula, told local press that the destination aims to draw 250,000 visitors by 2023. Al Ula has an ultimate goal of attracting 2m visitors by 2035.

In order to accomplish its aims, the government launched a $13.3bn strategy for the development of its south-western Aseer region under the title of the Arabian Highland. The strategy aims to turn the region into year-round international tourism destination and attract more than 10m visitors annually by 2030. Earlier in 2021 Saudi Arabia launched the Soudah Development Company to develop a luxury mountain destination in the south-western Aseer region around Saudi Arabia’s highest mountain, Al Soudah, at 3015 metres. The mountain currently attracts around 1m visitors a year but the new development aims to increase this to 2m annual visitors and make the Soudah area an international tourist destination. Approximately $3bn is being invested in the project, which will see the development of 2700 hotel rooms, 1300 residential units, and 30 commercial and entertainment attractions. It will cover an area of 627 sq km and focus on sustainable tourism and environmental preservation. The destination is set to be launched at the end of 2023 and is expected to contribute $7.7bn to GDP by 2030.

Tourism is helping to reposition and reshape Saudi Arabia. The country’s diverse offering – from the ancient history and cultural heritage of Al Ula, to the coast of the Red Sea – offers a unique experience for tourists. The array of projects under development demonstrate its aspirations to become a more diverse destination for both foreign investment and visitors.

Tourism will continue to be important over the coming decade, particularly because a thriving tourism sector is central to the Kingdom’s plans to create a more diversified and sustainable economy. Continued government support for the sector demonstrates the importance of tourism in efforts to help the Kingdom reduce its reliance on hydrocarbons and diversify sources of revenue. If the country’s ambitions are realised, the sector will be well positioned to be at the centre of diversification efforts in the coming years.

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February 13th, 2024 at 9:45 AM EST

Saudi Arabia wants to welcome 150 million visitors by 2030. In the first episode of a new limited-series podcast, Skift speaks with Saudi Tourism Authority’s Hazim Al-Hazmi about the marketing strategy helping make this happen.

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Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 plan, announced in 2016, outlines a comprehensive economic transformation plan, with tourism as a central pillar . In the first episode of the Skift Travel Spotlight, Skift Creative Strategist Kate Anderson spoke with Hazim Al-Hazmi, President, Europe & Americas, Saudi Tourism Authority, to discuss progress towards Vision 2030 goals and how he sees tourism shaping the country going forward.

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Revised Tourism Goals : Why the Saudi Ministry of Tourism has upped its already ambitious 2030 tourism target by another 50 million visitors and how it plans to reach this significant milestone.

Global Market Engagement : Insights on Saudi Arabia’s marketing strategy to Europe and the Americas and why their influence in shaping global travel trends makes them such key markets.

Diverse Experiential Offerings : Details on what visitors to Saudi Arabia can expect beyond its renowned desert landscapes, from coastal adventures along the Red Sea to cultural immersion in historical sites like Diriyah.

Connectivity and Marketing Initiatives : Insights into Saudi’s connectivity strategy, including plans for new airline routes and strategic partnerships to facilitate seamless access for travelers.

This content was created collaboratively by Saudi Tourism Authority and Skift’s branded content studio, SkiftX .

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Vision 2030 only the start of tourism drive, Saudi official says

Kingdom aims for 100 million visits by 2030 as it seeks to diversify economy.

Samaya Investment (SaudiArabia 2030)

Samaya Investment stand (Saudi Arabia 2030). Rob Greig for The National

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Vision 2030 is only the start of a new, sustainable Saudi tourism industry that will create jobs and allow the world to enjoy the kingdom’s ancient treasures, a senior official said.

Saudi Arabia is targeting 100 million visits a year by 2030 and wants to increase tourism's contribution to gross domestic product from 3 per cent now to 10 per cent, said Majed AlGhanim.

Mr AlGhanim is managing director of tourism and quality of life at the kingdom’s General Investment Authority.

He said about 77,000 e-visas were issued to people from around the world in the first month of a recently introduced scheme as part of Vision 2030’s goal to diversify the Saudi economy.

“There’s much more to offer," Mr AlGhanim said at the World Tourism Market in London.

"We have thousands of historical sites, five Unesco world heritage sites and then the developments will come to these areas as well. We believe that 2030 is just the start.

“After that we have much more to offer and we’re looking forward to sharing all these experiences with everyone."

He said leisure tourism was one of the main pillars of Vision 2030 but insisted that Saudi authorities also remained dedicated to improving visits by religious tourists to the kingdom’s holy sites.

“We know that it is a journey we are taking and it will take time for us to reach our goals," Ms AlGhanim said. "We have very ambitious goals."

He was talking as part of a panel of Saudi tourism leaders who were positive about the country’s future development.

Mark Willis, chief executive of AccorHotels MEA, who has worked with Saudi Arabia in for about 20 years, said he had seen “a lot of changes but none like we have seen in the past 36 months”.

Jerry Inzerillo, chief executive of the Diriyah Gate Development Authority, said: “Vision 2030 is a promise to the society of Saudi Arabia principally, because [King Salman] and the Crown Prince [Mohammed bin Salman] feel that if the society is healthy and entertained that it will be more joyful."

Renderings of the Brazilian pavilion at Expo 2020 in Dubai, which is set to offer an immersive experience for visitors. Courtesy Brazil Pavilion Expo 2020 Dubai

Mr Inzerillo employs a team of 300, 83 per cent of whom are Saudi, at the ancient site of Diriyah but plans to increase it to 50,000.

But John Pagano, chief executive of the Red Sea Development Company, which was announced in July 2017, said it was important that any tourism development was sustainable and not overbuilt.

Mr Pagano said about 50 hotels are to be built, as is a new international airport as part of the planned luxury destination about 500 kilometres north of Jeddah.

“We have probably one of the most precious environments and hidden treasures in the world today," he said.

"One of our mandates is not only to protect it but also to seek to enhance it for generations to come.

"And while we want tourism and we’re going to welcome tourism, we’re going to be much more measured in the way we go about it."

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Vision 2030: The Key to Saudi Arabia’s Tourism Success

Vision 2030: The Key to Saudi Arabia’s Tourism Success

tourism saudi arabia vision 2030

KSA has moved to market itself as a global tourism destination with speed and ambition. Philip Wooller, area director, Middle East & Africa at STR, and speaker at the recent Saudi Arabia Hospitality Investment Conference in Riyadh, tracks the Kingdom’s achievements to date and plans for the future in an operating climate now facing unprecedented challenges.

The world is currently dealing with the biggest challenge of our times and nowhere has this been felt more acutely than in travel and tourism. As we consider the current situation, however, it is also important to reflect on the significant changes that Saudi Arabia is implementing and remember that despite the drastic but necessary measures taken, the Kingdom is still busy preparing for a new era as a highly attractive destination for global tourism.

The KSA, the region’s largest outbound tourism market, has sharpened its focus on further developing the country’s tourism offerings of late. The recent boom in its tourism sector comes as a result of Saudi Vision 2030, a strategic masterplan encompassing a wide range of social and economic reforms across a multitude of sectors, aimed at reducing the country’s dependence on oil and diversifying into more sustainable sources. A number of ambitious megaprojects have taken shape since that launch, led by NEOM, the USD 500 billion megacity of the future, the Red Sea Project on the Western Coast, the entertainment megaproject to be rolled out in Riyadh named Qiddiya and a new cultural tourism destination called The Diriyah Gate. To support its drive, in 2019, the Kingdom relaxed its entry visa rules, enabling citizens from 49 countries to apply for a visa on arrival or make an online e-visa application.

Since 2016, when Vision 2030 was first announced, the Kingdom’s hotel industry Saudi Arabia Top 10 Brands Pipeline – Jan 2020 has witnessed renewed interest, with a number of international and regional brands taking steps to expand their operations. Looking ahead to 2025, AM:PM, STR’s digital hotel supply and pipeline monitoring tool, expects 79,864 rooms to be added across the country to the existing inventory. The majority (34,270) will be located in the Holy City of Makkah, which attracts millions of pilgrims every year, primarily for Hajj and Umrah. Riyadh and Jeddah look set to increase volumes by 11,632 and 14,525 respectively over the same five-year period. The three brands with the highest number of rooms in the pipeline are Voco (4,881), Hilton Garden Inn (3,988) and Millennium (3,906).

Hotel performance has fluctuated in Saudi Arabia, with hoteliers doing their best to navigate changing market conditions, regional instability, shifts in oil prices, differing levels of government spending and new visa regulations. Hotel revenue per available room (RevPAR) for the country dropped 10 percent in both 2016 and 2017, after declines in oil prices prompted a widespread fiscal shock to the oil-dependent GCC member states. The rate of decline in RevPAR has since slowed considerably to -5.1 in 2018 and -2.5 in 2019, primarily because of decreases in average daily rates (ADRs), with occupancy rebounding 5.4 percent in 2019. Riyadh hotels enjoyed a bumper year in 2019, with RevPAR growth of 5.2 percent due to a 9.2 percent increase in occupancy and 3.6 percent decline in ADR year-on-year. On top of the steady flow of business travelers visiting the country’s capital city and primary business hub last year, demand was further boosted by a number of high-profile events. These included the Future Investment Initiative in October, the Formula E Grand Prix in November and the boxing rematch between Anthony Joshua and Andy Ruiz in December. Other successful events running in parallel as part of the Riyadh Season Festival, which opened in October, brought additional benefits. Fourth-quarter RevPAR in Riyadh reached 529.33 SAR (USD 141.15), the highest since 2014. With more events in 2020, such as the Rally Dakar, held in January, and the G20 summit scheduled for November, Riyadh is expected to continue its successful run.

Meanwhile, all eyes are peeled on the progress of recent reforms, and anticipation is high for the completion of the first phases of the mega projects that are underway—all deemed essential for Saudi Arabia to fulfil its great potential and huge promise to its citizens and the rest of the world.

strglobal.com

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Rita Ghantous

Rita Ghantous is a hospitality aficionado and a passionate writer with over 9 years’ experience in journalism and 5 years experience in the hospitality sector. Her passion for the performance arts and writing, started early. At 10 years old she was praised for her solo performance of the Beatles song “All My Love” accompanied by a guitarist, and was approached by a French talent scout during her school play. However, her love for writing was stronger. Fresh out of school, she became a freelance journalist for Noun Magazine and was awarded the Silver Award Cup for Outstanding Poetry, by The International Library of Poetry (Washington DC). She studied Business Management and earned a Masters degree from Saint Joseph University (USJ), her thesis was published in the Proche-Orient, Études en Management book. She then pursued a career in the hospitality industry but didn’t give up writing, that is why she launched the Four Points by Sheraton Le Verdun Newsletter. Her love for the industry and journalism led her to Hospitality Services - the organizers of the HORECA trade show in Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Jordan, as well as Salon Du Chocolat, Beirut Cooking Festival, Whisky Live and other regional shows. She is currently the Publications Executive of Hospitality News Middle East, Taste & Flavors and Lebanon Traveler. It is with ultimate devotion for her magazines that she demonstrates her hospitality savoir-faire.

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Opening Up To The World: Saudi Arabia's Tourism Goals Gateway industries such as tourism, local manufacturing and smart services are generating jobs for future Saudi youth –and for the first time– opening Saudi Arabia to the world.

Aug 7, 2022

You're reading Entrepreneur Middle East, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

This article is a part of Bringing the World to Saudi , a special report sponsored by Saudia and developed by Entrepreneur Middle East in partnership with Lucidity Insights.

In 2016, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia announced that it was embarking on a unique and transformative economic and social reform called Saudi Vision 2030 that would open up Saudi Arabia to the world.

Vision 2030 is a deeply ambitious plan to unlock the Kingdom's vast potential, by creating a diversified, innovative, and world-leading nation. It has been designed to free the Kingdom from its dependence on oil exports, ushering in a new era of economic diversification and opportunity, driven by investment into key strategic sectors.

tourism saudi arabia vision 2030

Vision 2030 works on three major areas of focus: creating a vibrant society, developing a thriving economy, and ensuring an ambitious nation. To shed light on just how far-reaching the implications of implementing the strategy across the country, here is just a small sample of the many ambitions set out in the Vision 2030:

To increase the share of non-oil exports in non-oil gross domestic product (GDP) from 16% to 50%. Non-oil revenues in the Kingdom have grown from US$45 billion in 2015 to $98.3 billion in 2020; though 2020 was a contraction year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the collapse of oil prices, non-oil revenues made up 47% of the government's revenues, the highest portion in Saudi's recent history.

Have three Saudi cities recognized in the top 100 cities in the world by 2030

To increase capacity to welcome 30 million religious pilgrims by 2030 (up from 8 million pilgrims received in 2016); in 2019, Saudi welcomed over 21.66 million domestic and foreign pilgrims to Mecca)

To increase private sector contribution to GDP to 65% by 2030 (from 40% in 2016). Since 2016, the Kingdom has seen a 40% rise in the number of SMEs, and 16% growth in industrial sector investment.

To lower unemployment from 11.6% to 7% by 2030. After a few years of rising unemployment, reaching a high of 13.7% in 2020, the Kingdom has managed to lower unemployment down to 11.3% by Q3 2021.

To increase women's participation in the workforce from 22% to 30%. Saudi Arabia has already met this 2030 target by 2020-year-end, when women's employment soared to 33%, driven primarily by the private sector. By Q3 2021, the figure had risen again to 34.1%. Furthermore, 38% of all small and medium sized businesses in the Kingdom are owned and operated by women.

To increase Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund Public Investment Fund's (PIF) assets from SAR600 billion to SAR7 trillion (equivalent to nearly $1.9 trillion). By 2020-year-end, PIF had $400 billion assets under management.

To increase the ratio of individuals exercising at least one time a week to 40% by 2030 (from 13% in 2016). By 2020, >1,000 education and recreation clubs were established in the Kingdom, with more than 1.7 million residents utilizing their services.

To increase average life expectancy from 74 to 80 years.

To raise the Saudi government's ranking in the Government Effectiveness Index from 80th place to 20th place globally. In 2019, Saudi was ranked in 64th place.

To rally one million volunteers a year, up from 11,000 in 2016. 409,000 volunteers were engaged in 2020, and 84% of Saudi youth have expressed a strong desire to partake in volunteering opportunities in a poll conducted at the end of 2020.

To increase FDI from 3.8% to the international level of 5.7% GDP. Saudi Arabia has already witnessed foreign investment triple from $1.42 billion USD in 2016 to $4.7 billion in 2020.

tourism saudi arabia vision 2030

To achieve the Vision 2030 objectives, a series of programs have been designed to translate the Vision's aims into action. These Vision Realization Programs act to bring key deliverables of the blueprint to life, in wide-ranging areas from fiscal sustainability to Saudi citizen's quality of life. Five years has passed since launching Vision 2030, and the Kingdom has delivered a wave of reforms that have transformed society, with particular benefits to women and youth, and economy– accelerating the growth of the non-oil economy. Gateway industries such as tourism, local manufacturing and smart services are generating jobs for future Saudi youth –and for the first time– opening Saudi Arabia to the world.

OPENING SAUDI ARABIA UP TO THE WORLD

One of the key strategic sectors for development mapped out in Saudi's Vision 2030 is tourism. By 2030, the Kingdom expects tourism to account for 10% of GDP (up from the current 3%), creating a new tourism economy in the Kingdom that will generate at least one million new jobs for Saudi youth.

tourism saudi arabia vision 2030

Job creation is a critical strategic driver for the Kingdom and underpins many of the strategic objectives outlined in Vision 2030, as Saudi Arabia is a youthful population with what economists call a "youth bulge". This refers to the incoming young Saudis graduating from secondary and tertiary education that will be hungry for jobs– in a job market that needs to more than double the number of jobs available since 2016 by 2030, the number of jobs available in Saudi Arabia needs to increase even more significantly, when we consider the successful drive for Saudi to engage women in the workforce. In 2010, only 55,000 Saudi women were participating in the private sector workforce; at the end of 2021, nearly one million Saudi women were working in the private sector, and the percentage of women in the workforce is climbing steadily. In 2016, only 19% of the workforce in Saudi were women. In 2021, that number has climbed to over 34%.

There are many stakeholders responsible for stewarding the National Tourism Development Strategy in Saudi Arabia. All are working together to coordinate strategic implementation of initiatives to achieve the targets set out in Vision 2030. Coordination activities are across public and private sector entities, covering strategic direction, regulation, tourism development investment, transportation and logistics infrastructure development and management, branding and promotion, visitor experience, and many other initiatives.

tourism saudi arabia vision 2030

Developing the tourism sector in the Kingdom directly and indirectly supports the achievement of many key strategic objectives of Vision 2030, as highlighted in the figure below. Tourism will strengthen Islamic values and national identity by promoting the Kingdom as a religious destination for over 30 million pilgrims annually, strengthen the private sector (which will be the main driver of future new job growth), attract foreign direct investment, and contribute to one million new tourism jobs, driving youth employment.

tourism saudi arabia vision 2030

Today, Saudi Arabia's tourism economy employs just over half a million people, of which 22% are roles filled by Saudi nationals. Tourism will also, of course, contribute to government non-oil revenues, as a cornerstone of the Kingdom's economic diversification plan. Saudi Arabia aims to become one of the top global tourism destinations by 2030, welcoming over 100 million overnight visitors annually.

tourism saudi arabia vision 2030

PUTTING MONEY WHERE THEIR MOUTH IS

As the entrepreneurial adage goes, "you must spend money, to make money," and in order for the Kingdom to increase tourism's contribution to the national GDP from 3% to 10% by 2030, the Kingdom is putting money where its mouth is. In less than a year of being established, the Saudi Tourism Development Fund stated that it had deployed $533 million on tourism projects worth a total of over $2 billion; the fund was initially established with $4 billion for investment.

Meanwhile, the PIF has announced a five-year strategy that aims to invest $40 billion each year into the domestic economy until 2025, with 1.8 million jobs expected to be created. Many, though not all, of PIF's investments are geared towards tourism development projects. In late 2021, the Minister of Tourism, H.E. Ahmed Al Khateeb, publicly announced that the Kingdom had committed to spend $1 trillion towards tourism projects over the next 10 years.

tourism saudi arabia vision 2030

With this investment and the various tourism initiatives across the country, Saudi Arabia is looking for a return on investment that would see an increase of more than 5x on 2018 tourism spend in the Kingdom and contribute 10% to the Kingdom's GDP. In following with global tourism trends, the Kingdom expects more than half of those tourism revenues to come from leisure tourism– a tourism sector that was barely existent in the country a few short years ago.

tourism saudi arabia vision 2030

Though Saudi Arabia is new to opening its borders to the general international public, the Kingdom's religious tourism has thrived for thousands of years. Once a year, Muslims of every ethnic group, color, social status, and culture gather in Mecca, the holiest site in Islam, and worship together. By no means is "welcoming foreigners" a new concept in Saudi. In 2019, Saudi Arabia welcomed over 21 million Muslim pilgrims inside its borders for Hajj and Umrah. Due to the prominence of these pilgrimages, the city of Mecca regularly lands itself on Mastercard's Global Destination Cities Index. In the 2019 ranking (which covers 2018 figures), Mecca was ranked as the 13th most visited city in the world, with 10 million overnight visitors, and ranked second for international visitor spend, at over $20 billion.

tourism saudi arabia vision 2030

In September 2019, Saudi Arabia opened its doors to the world for the first time, as one of the few "final frontiers" of tourism. Prior to this, besides Muslim pilgrims, only business travelers invited by Saudi companies and organizations could gain entry to the Kingdom on a business visa. Within the first four months of accepting tourism visa applications, more than 300,000 applications were filed.

tourism saudi arabia vision 2030

Unfortunately, shortly after the "grand opening," the newly opened borders were then subsequently closed in 2020, along with most of the borders around the world, due to the Covid19 Pandemic that affected mobility globally. Despite this, the Saudi Tourism Authority says that Saudi Arabia was able to garner 5% of its tourism revenue from the leisure tourism sector in 2019. In fact, Saudi Arabia's Tourism Minister told Bloomberg TV in an October 2021 interview that the country was on track to have tourism contribute to 4% of its GDP that year.

Related: Driving Economies: Breaking Down The Significance Of The Global Tourism Industry

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Saudi Vision 2030: New Avenue of Tourism in Saudi Arabia

Profile image of Sanairfan Khan

2020, Studies in India Place Name

A new era of the Tourism Industry leads to new transformation inside Saudi Arabia. This is the first time when Saudi Arabia opens its doors for all international foreigners. Saudi Arabia is known all over the world for Pilgrimage tourism because Saudi Arabia has two holy places of Islam, its Mecca and Medina. Almost 12 million pilgrimages came to offer the hajj and umrah around the world. Presently changing the scenario in the tourism industry in Saudi Arabia, its reason behind Saudi Vision 2030 which aim to diversify their oil economy into the non-oil economy. The crown prince Mohammad bin Salman announced Saudi vision 2030 on 25 April 2016. In the Saudi vision 2030 aim to diversify their oil economy into various sectors. In this vision have three main themes are-1. The first theme, a vibrant society, is vital for achieving the Vision and a strong foundation for economic prosperity. 2. A thriving economy, a thriving economy provides opportunities for all, by building an education system aligned with market needs and creating economic opportunities for the entrepreneur, the small enterprise, as well as the large corporation. 3. An ambitious nation is built on an effective, transparent, accountable, enabling, and high-performing government. Saudi Arabia will also prepare the right environment for citizens, the private sector, and the non-profit to fulfill its responsibilities in facing challenges and seizing opportunities. 4. This paper will examine the challenges of the recent Saudi tourism industry that, how they are promoting tourism by improving the perception of rules in the country. This paper is an analysis of the previous process of the tourism industry and the recent one. Examine that formerly which step putting up tourism industry under Saudi vision 2030? How are they promoting the non-pilgrimage tourism industry in the country? What are affects their neighbor countries? The paper analysis by the Data is available in the literature and various secondary sources like government publications, articles, newspaper articles, and books.

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Solid State Technology Volume: 63 Issue: 6

Okafor Christian I. (Advisor on Durable Solution) Ph.D., M.Sc., B.Tech., Dip, MNITP, FIMC, CMC. , Yakubu Aminu DODO , Ahmed O S M A N Ibrahim

Saudi Arabia has great potential for the international tourism industry however; the industry remains predominantly underdeveloped. Hajj is obligatory at least once in a lifetime for the 1.8 billion followers of Islam and as it is the fifth five pillars of Islam, as well considered the greatest international tourism industry constituent. The kingdom's attempt to diversify its economic dependence on fossil fuels focusing on its tourism potentials spearheaded by the 26,000 km2 and $500bn economic city, Neom, on its western edge, powered by clean energy. The Saudi Commission for Tourism & National Heritage (SCTH) has entered into a number of agreements with relevant organizations to promote the Kingdom's rich history, ancient civilizations, and nomadic tribes. The Kingdom boasts three UNESCO and three World Heritage list sites. A recently concluded joint Saudi German archeological excavation mission has unearthed objects dating back 7,000 years. Additionally, the SCTH is hoping the convertible Umrah-plus visas will encourage pilgrims to partake in annual events and initiatives such as the Janadriyah, the national and international most visited urban heritage tourism event. The measures put in place to attract more visitors in future should lead to a more diverse economy. The SCTH for example has adopted a proactive and engaging environment that promotes tourism for pilgrims and allows them access to historical sites beyond the holy cities, where the Kingdom plays its role in the entire human civilization and its existent impact on the international community. Traveler, travel agencies and tour operators expect the country to start easing rules toward issuing 30-day general tourist visas to those who wish to explore the kingdom's hidden treasures. The hidden treasures including the Nabatean city of Madain Saleh, featuring more than 100 tombs with elaborate facades and interiors with inscriptions dating to late antiquity, the Red Sea coast sites capable of invigorating tourists, the 50 islands between the cities of Umluj and Al Wajh is among the most distinguishable global tourism destination. Tabuk is known for being a hotspot for diving, as well as home to a nearly 500-year-old castle. The port city of Yanbu is another diving hotspot, known for its white-sand beaches and family-friendly resorts, while further south, Abha, the capital city of Aseer Province, is a popular destination for local travelers because of its lush green countryside, national parks, and mud-built castles. The country is reopening cinemas, hosting concerts as well as film and comic festivals, organizing sports tournaments, and is pitching itself as viable leisure and not just religious tourism destination. Saudi Arabia plans to double the number of incoming travelers to 30 million within the next 12 years, increasing its national income revenue. The analytical aspect of the research shows the theoretical method based on which the Ha'il attraction tourism sites and occasions investigated and explored within those of the whole country to shed light on the much they contribute in boasting the booming tourism of Saudi Arabia.

tourism saudi arabia vision 2030

Business Perspectives

Dr. Anis Ali

Saudi Arabia is well known in the world for the holy places Makkah and Madinah. Hajjis and visitors come to perform hajj and Umrah every year in Makkah and Madinah from all around the world. Hajj and Umrah visits play a vital role in the inbound tourism of Saudi Arabia. The tourism revenue of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is increasing absolutely but losing its contribution to the GDP proportionately. So, this paper tries to find out the economic activities of all components of tourism sector which are responsible for the negative trend. It also explains the relationships and variability of tourism revenues and expenditures with GDP and offers suggestions to enhance revenue of tourism sector. This study is based upon secondary data obtained from the website of SAMA (Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority) and General Authority for Statistics of Saudi Arabia. In tourism sector of Saudi Arabia, the increasing trend of expenditures of some economic activities is more than its revenue. The increasing trend of expenditures comparatively its revenues lowering contribution of tourism towards GDP. To improve the level of tourism revenue, government has to provide world class facilities and develop new tourist spots and allow the visitors to visit such places according to the Shariah and Kingdom rules. Government has to focus on developing passenger rail transport and other means of transport to connect all the tourist spots to provide easy conveyance, and on improving and developing tourism sector by helping the government and private organizations that are engaged directly or indirectly in providing services to the domestic and inbound tourists to assure more contribution to GDP.

Dr DIRAR ALOTAIBI

This paper explores a number of tourism variables such as visitor exports services, travel and tourism consumption and demand, tourism gross domestic product (GDP) throughout the period 1988-2011. In addition to, tourism arrivals, tourism expenditure and percentage of Saudi employment in the tourism sector throughout the period 2012-2017 in KSA. Moreover, services related to tourism sector such as numbers of transport and rent a car companies, recreations, restaurants, travel agencies, furnished apartment units and hotels, in addition to, their value added are analyzed as well throughout the period 2007-2011. The pattern of the earlier mentioned variables is investigated by employing data in levels and first differences. It then predicts their future values throughout the next decade (2012-2023) via employing the Double Exponential Smoothing technique. The results suggest that, tourism variables such as visitor exports services, travel and tourism consumption and demand and tourism gross domestic product are estimated throughout the period 2012-2023 at about (US $ billion) 7.1, 18.8, 58.1 and 13.3 (on average) respectively. Whereas, for tourism arrivals (8.5 million arrivals), tourism expenditure (30 US $ billion) and percentage of Saudi employment (29%) throughout the period 2012-2017. In addition, the prediction for services related to tourism sector (during the period 2012-2017) such as numbers of hotels, furnished apartment units, travel agencies, restaurants, rent a car and transport companies and recreations estimated at 1050, 938, 1917, 28284, 533, 2010 and 12983 respectively. Whereas, total value added for accommodation, food services, recreation, travel agencies and transportation estimated at about (US $ billion) 2.9, 5.2, 0.8, 0.2, and 5.6 respectively(during the same period). Moreover, it investigates the main difficulties facing this important industry and the suggested ways to overcome them.

Dirar Toom , Ahmed El-Kholei

This paper explores a number of tourism variables such as visitor exports services, travel and tourism consumption and demand, tourism gross domestic product (GDP) throughout

faisal aldakhil

Saudi Journal of Business and Mangement Studies

This paper discusses the importance of economic diversification for the Natural resource rich nations with a special focus on Saudi Arabia. The paper will concentrate on Saudi Arabia's efforts to achieve diversification by investing in tourism industry. Natural resources are the real wealth of nations. The availability of resources can directly influence a country's ability to grow. But at the same time a nation's economy may suffer significant and unfavourable repercussions if it is overly reliant on one or two resources, this phenomenon is called as "resource curse". Economic diversification must therefore be successfully implemented for an economy to enjoy long-term prosperity. Saudi Arabia has made notable efforts in diversifying its economy to reduce its reliance on oil and mitigate the resource curse. With tourism industry being one of the largest non-oil contributors and one of the biggest jobs creating sector, the Saudi Arabian government recognizes the importance and ability of the tourism industry and considers it as one of the prime drivers in efforts of diversifying the economy. The paper will analyse role of tourism marketing in establishing a growing and glowing tourism sector. Finally, we examine the Saudi Arabian government's tourism marketing initiatives and the results it yielded.

Abdullh Banger

RESEARCH PAPER: A Development Plan to Improve Religious Tourism in Saudi Arabia STUDENT: Abdullh Banger DEGREE: Master of Urban and Regional Planning COLLEGE: College of Architecture and Planning DATE: July, 2013 PAGES: 100 The most important cities in the religion of Islam are located in Saudi Arabia. Muslims from around the world come to perform Umrah and Hajj in Mecca each year. Therefore, I would like to come up with a development plan that aims to generate different sources of income, to decrease the unemployment rate, and to provide leisure time for the citizens and the visitors of the kingdom. In addition, in this project, I would like to address project’s issues by using GIS tools. I will locate all historical and archaeological places in one GIS map. Then I will evaluate and compare the quality of these places from different points of view, such as historical and economic value.

Zakir Hussain

The paper discusses Saudi Arabia's recently launched tourism project in Red Sea Zone. The young Crown prince Muhammad Bin Salman under visions 2030 diversifies the Saudi economic; hence, promotion of tourism is one of his focuses. The red Sea projects aims to attract 1 million luxury tourists by 2030 and earn US$ 4 billion as well as create 25,000 employment opportunities. The paper also throws some light on non-religious tourism efforts aimed at providing all those entertainment sources which Saudis seek abroad. All these are discussed in this paper.

Mohammed Alrmizan

This study aims at investigating Saudi tourist phenomenon’s contributions/impacts to/on the tourism industry in Turkey. Additionally, it provides more focus on Trabzon and draw examples and reasons, being it one of the most visited city for people in Saudi Arabia. It explains Saudi phenomenon, how it developed and how it can contribute economically, culturally and socially to Turkey’s tourism industry and specially the city of Trabzon. This report aims at answering the following questions; how Saudi tourists’ phenomenon’s appearance impacts Turkey’s tourism? What possible political, economic and cultural outcomes contribute to this phenomenon? In addition, why Trabzon is the most desirable by most Saudi tourists? Lastly, how Saudi tourists’ increase can particularly impact the socio-economic of Trabzon? How the fast-growing Saudi tourists (and businessmen) contribute to the city infrastructure, local municipality’s support, local culture and business’s growth and challenges and future perspectives.

Thabit Alomari

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Vision 2030

Vision 2030 is built around three primary themes: a vibrant society, a thriving economy and an ambitious nation..

The historic vision was developed by the Council of Economic and Development Affairs, which is chaired by Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. It includes a number of goals and reform strategies for the Kingdom’s long-term economic success, including reductions in subsidies, the creation of a sovereign wealth fund, opening Saudi Aramco to private investment through a partial IPO, and reforms to several industries including tourism and defense.

The vision is built around three primary themes: a vibrant society, a thriving economy and an ambitious nation.

In order to achieve a vibrant society, Saudi Arabia will focus on its people and the Islamic faith. This will happen through a series of commitments, including: increasing the number of Umrah visitors from 8 million to 30 million annually; establishing the largest Islamic museum in the world; doubling the number of Saudi heritage sites registered with UNESCO; promoting the growth of cultural and entertainment opportunities within the Kingdom; encouraging healthy lifestyles so that the number of citizens who exercise once a week increases from 13 to 40 percent; and developing Saudi cities so that three are recognized in the 100 top-ranked cities in the world.

In order to achieve a thriving economy, the Kingdom will diversify its economy and create dynamic job opportunities for its citizens. This will happen through commitments to education, entrepreneurship and innovation, including: diversifying the nation's economy through the ongoing privatization of state-owned assets, including establishing a sovereign wealth fund that will be financed through the partial IPO of Saudi Aramco; unlocking underdeveloped industries such as manufacturing, renewable energy and tourism; modernizing the curriculum and standards of Saudi educational institutions from childhood to higher learning. By 2030, Saudi Arabia will have at least five universities among the top 200 universities in the world; and refocusing on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by encouraging financial assistance. Increasing the contribution of SMEs to GDP from 20 to 35 percent by 2030.

In order to be an ambitious nation, Saudi Arabia will focus on accountability, transparency and effectiveness in its governing strategy. Sustainable success can only be achieved with solid foundations. In order to realize this potential, the Kingdom will: establish zero tolerance for all levels of corruption; boost transparency by expanding online services and improving governance standards; establish the King Salman Program for Human Capital Development in order to train more than 500,000 government employees in best practices; and bolster the non-profit sector through increased efficiency and impact.

The Vision2030 plan is the first step towards achieving Saudi Arabia’s economic aspirations and transforming the lives of citizens. The full plan can be viewed here . ( Arabic )

Experiences that were once considered a dream are now a daily reality for Saudi residents and visitors alike – attending red-carpet film festivals, attending premier sporting events and experiencing the treasured secrets of the Kingdom’s seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites . The Quality of Life Program enables culture, entertainment, sports and tourism to flourish in Saudi Arabia, delivering enriched and better lives for all.

Launched in 2018, the Quality of Life Program is transforming Saudi Arabia into a world-renowned sports and entertainment location, a global tourism hotspot, and a top-ranked country people can call home. Enhancing a wide variety of sectors, the Program focuses on the empowerment of arts and culture, promotion of sports and leading a healthy life, and the development of more livable urban areas. As well as creating exciting new sectors and diversifying economic activity, the Program is bolstering local employment opportunities and beautifying cities across the Kingdom. These efforts combine to create a better quality of life for all. The Program is empowering Saudi Arabia’s transformation as a top destination to live, work and play. Home to a dynamic population, the majority of whom are under 35, the Kingdom is building an engaging society for citizens, residents, and visitors.

Since the launch of the tourist visa in 2019, there have been more than 94 million visits from across the globe, resulting in a plethora of opportunities in the fields of tourism, hospitality, and entertainment. The Program has introduced initiatives to train millions of skilled people needed by 2030 to cater for these demands, and to support the Kingdom’s private sector. Continued innovation is delivering the promise of greater quality of life, underpinning Vision 2030’s ambitious goals for a more livable and vibrant society.

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Events Investment Fund

General Entertainment Authority

The Royal Institute of Traditional Arts

tourism saudi arabia vision 2030

Protecting & Enhancing Saudi Arabia's Natural Environment

Strategic Objectives

Increase public participation in sports & athletic activities

Reach regional & global excellence in selected professional sports

Boosting Saudi Arabia's contribution to arts & culture

Develop & diversify entertainment opportunities to meet population's needs

Conserve & promote Islamic, Arab & National heritage of the Kingdom

Improve the urban landscape in Saudi cities

3 cities in Saudi Arabia ranked in the top 100 livable cities by 2030

143,000+ employees in the Saudi cultural sector by 2030

600+ new entertainment attractions by 2030

6,700+ days of cultural events by 2030

H.E. Mr. Ahmed bin Aqeel Al-Khateeb

Chairman of the Program,  Minister of Tourism , & Member of the Council of Economic and Development Affairs

Saudi Arabia is more vibrant than ever as the Quality of Life Program opens the Kingdom to the world. Through investment, tourism, entertainment and cultural exchange, our nation is embracing openness and collaboration.

Board Members

Representative of Ministry of Tourism

H.H. Princess Haifa bint Mohammed Al Saud

Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing

H.E. Mr. Majed bin Abdullah AlHogail

Head of Development Authorities Support Office

H.E. Eng. Ibrahim bin Mohammed AlSultan

Representative of Ministry of Commerce

H.E. Dr. Saad bin Othman Alkasabi

Representative of Minister of Education

H.E. Dr. Mohammed Bin Ahmed Al-Sudairy

Representative of Ministry of Culture

H.E. Mr. Hamid bin Mohammed Fayez

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Planet Money

How saudi arabia is using its oil influence to fund fantastical plans for the future.

Darian Woods headshot

Darian Woods

Adrian Ma photo

For decades, Saudi Arabia's economy has been defined by its abundant oil reserves. But with a plan known as Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia is trying to pivot away from that economic base.

A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:

Saudi Arabia is facing increasing levels of scrutiny over its efforts to buy into professional sports leagues around the world. What some critics call sportswashing is a strategy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman embraces as he seeks to diversify Saudi Arabia's economy. Darian Woods and Adrian Ma of The Indicator from Planet Money explain how the Saudi government plans to use oil to fund the crown prince's vision for the future.

DARIAN WOODS, BYLINE: If you know one thing about Saudi Arabia's economy, it's that it has oil, which is very easy to extract.

RICHARD BRONZE: Probably the cheapest at scale.

WOODS: Richard Bronze is the head of geopolitics at Energy Aspects, which is an oil and gas consultancy.

BRONZE: If you look at something like U.S. shale, you're probably talking somewhere in the 30 to $50 a barrel for most shale, but it's a few dollars a barrel it probably costs...

WOODS: Wow.

BRONZE: ...For a lot of Saudi production.

ADRIAN MA: And because of this cheap-to-produce oil, Saudi Arabia's been one of the most important suppliers of oil. In 1981, Saudi Arabia was selling the world about one in every six barrels of oil out there, and that made it the third richest country in the world per person, after the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.

WOODS: But Saudi Arabia doesn't just accept what the world market is willing to pay for its oil. It actually tries to influence what that price is.

MA: By sometimes restricting how much oil it produces, Saudi Arabia hopes that this will make the global oil market bid higher prices for the oil it does produce. Consumers would see higher prices at the gas station, and this potentially means Saudi Arabia can make more money overall. But recently there's been one player stopping OPEC and Saudi Arabia from being able to control the oil market too much.

WOODS: We're talking about the U.S. Over the last decade, U.S. oil production has been booming. And the U.S. is now the No. 1 producer of oil. The U.S. isn't part of OPEC. So when OPEC cuts its oil production at the moment, the U.S. oil at least partly makes up for that gap. But look, if you're an oil-dependent country like Saudi Arabia currently is, relying on oil is not a recipe for long-term prosperity. Because the oil market is volatile.

MA: And of course, all this is a concern for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. In 2016, he announced a plan to diversify Saudi Arabia's economy.

WOODS: Here he is recently talking about it on Fox News.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

CROWN PRINCE MOHAMMED BIN SALMAN: We have in the past a few issues in Saudi Arabia and a lot of opportunities that we didn't use. We're trying to capture that and to go forward for a better Saudi Arabia. And that's what we're trying to do.

WOODS: His big plan is called Vision 2030. Richard Bronze calls it an ambitious strategy.

BRONZE: It talked about, you know, really boosting lots of the non-oil sects for the Saudi economy - boosting tourism, boosting technology, green investment and lots of kind of changes culturally, a lot of loosening up of some of the traditional restrictions. So you have things like building this futuristic city called Neom.

WOODS: And in some ways, Mohammed bin Salman is hoping that Neom can be an answer to Dubai and the United Arab Emirates.

BRONZE: There's really interesting tensions between Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Overall, they are close allies. But below that, you know, one of the things, for instance, is Saudi Arabia's doing a big push for international companies to move their regional headquarters to Saudi Arabia. Most of them today are headquartered in Dubai or Abu Dhabi.

WOODS: But Vision 2030 isn't all about these improbable buildings in a shiny desert city. It's also a goal to generally build the non-oil economy. It calls for more women in the workforce, more investment in and out of the country. And it's this focus on a mobile, outwardly focused economy that may have driven Saudi Arabia's talks last year to normalize relations with Israel. That was a huge step because Saudi Arabia hasn't recognized Israel in the past. Of course, that big breakthrough was derailed by the Israel-Hamas war.

MA: Last week we had Antony Blinken, the U.S. secretary of state, visiting Mohammed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia. He was there to talk about the conflict. And that's because Blinken recognizes that regardless of Saudi Arabia's economy in transition, Saudi Arabia remains a country with a lot of power in the region.

WOODS: Darian Woods.

MA: Adrian Ma, NPR News.

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Asian News International

Saudi Arabia eyes 7.5 mn Indian visitors by 2030, offers 96-hour free visa

By Shafali Nigam

Greater Noida (Uttar Pradesh) [India], February 22 (ANI): Witnessing increasing demand for travel from India to Saudi Arabia for spiritual and leisure purposes, Riyadh aims to attract 7.5 million Indian visitors by 2030, as articulated by Alhasan Aldabbagh , President - Asia Pacific, Saudi Tourism Authority , during the prominent SATTE 2024 travel show.

Expressing enthusiasm about Saudi's third participation in SATTE, Aldabbagh marked the occasion of Saudi's founding day, commemorating three centuries since its establishment. Emphasising India as a pivotal market, he highlighted a substantial 50 per cent growth in Indian visitors to Saudi Arabia last year, outlining plans to achieve the 2030 vision.

In a conversation with ANI, Aldabbagh said, "We're thrilled to be at SATTE. It's our third participation, and it's one of the most distinguished trade shows in South Asia. Today holds significance as we celebrate the Saudi founding day."

When queried about the Indian market's role in Saudi Arabia , Aldabbagh asserted, "India is a priority market for Saudi. Last year alone, we welcomed 1.5 million visitors from India, presenting a remarkable 50 per cent growth. Looking ahead, our objective is to attract 7.5 million visitors from India to Saudi Arabia as part of our vision for 2030."

Addressing visa facilitation, Aldabbagh mentioned, "Recognising India's importance, we have streamlined access to Saudi. With 10 VFS offices in India, we plan to expand further this year. We've introduced a stopover program, offering a 96-hour free visa for those travelling through Saudi Airlines or flynas (a private Saudi low-cost airline). Additionally, individuals holding a US, UK, or Schengen visa are eligible for e-Visa or visa on arrival."

Regarding the enduring relationship between India and Saudi Arabia , Aldabbagh said, "The mutual goodwill between India and Saudi Arabia has consistently expanded. This growth spans not only in the tourism sector but also in economic, social, and cultural exchanges. We eagerly anticipate our planned activations in India this year, further solidifying our flourishing relationship."

India and Saudi Arabia enjoy cordial and friendly relations reflecting the centuries-old economic and socio-cultural ties.

SATTE (South Asia's Travel and Tourism Exchange) offers a comprehensive platform to domestic and international buyers and professionals from across the travel, tourism and hospitality industry along with National and State Tourism Boards (NTOs and STOs).

SATTE is well-supported by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, National and International Tourism Boards, Indian and International travel and trade associations and organisations amongst others, according to SATTE's official website. (ANI)

Alhasan Aldabbagh, President – Asia Pacific, Saudi Tourism Authority (File Photo)

IMAGES

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COMMENTS

  1. Tourism & Heritage

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  5. Saudi Vision 2030

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  6. Everything you need to know about Saudi's Vision 2030 five-year

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  10. Saudi Vision 2030 Overview

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  13. Culture is the key to Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 tourism goals

    Culture is the key to Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 tourism goals. The rich culture of Saudi Arabia is being brought into the world's view by a range of high-profile projects. Jason Harborow Mon 11 Dec 2023. FB LN TW MAIL LN LN. The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) has been at the forefront of this cultural regeneration.

  14. PDF Rethinking Tourism in Saudi Arabia: Royal Vision 2030 Perspective

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  16. Saudi Arabia's Tourism Triumph: Surpassing Vision 2030 with ...

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  17. Saudi Arabia's Strategic Leap Forward in Tourism: A Pillar of Vision 2030

    Key to achieving these lofty goals is the development of world-class infrastructure and the attraction of substantial investments. The Kingdom is on track to add more than 300,000 hotel rooms by 2030, a testament to the aggressive push toward realizing the Vision 2030 targets.Mega projects and legislative changes are shaping a new era of hospitality and leisure in Saudi Arabia, with the ...

  18. Tourism key to Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 plans

    The tourism sector is one of the most promising parts of the kingdom's diversification efforts, and its Vision 2030 plans, with international tourism receipts forecast to grow by 5.8 percent per year between 2018 and 2022, according to a new report from BMI Research. Already, the tourism sector and its indirect effects accounted for 10.2 ...

  19. Saudi Arabia launches new tourism initiatives within Vision 2030

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  20. Saudi Vision 2030

    Saudi Vision 2030 (Arabic: رؤية السعودية ٢٠٣٠ ruʾyat al-suʿūdiyah alfayn thalāthūn, sometimes called Project 2030) is a government program launched by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia which aims to achieve the goal of increased diversification economically, socially and culturally, in line with the vision of Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman.

  21. Rethinking Tourism in Saudi Arabia: Royal Vision 2030 Perspective

    ... Additionally, Saudi's tourism sector was one of the primary focuses of this visionary plan. Before the implementation of this plan, tourism in the Kingdom was primarily centered on...

  22. Saudi Vision 2030: New Avenue of Tourism in Saudi Arabia

    Presently changing the scenario in the tourism industry in Saudi Arabia, its reason behind Saudi Vision 2030 which aim to diversify their oil economy into the non-oil economy. The crown prince Mohammad bin Salman announced Saudi vision 2030 on 25 April 2016. In the Saudi vision 2030 aim to diversify their oil economy into various sectors.

  23. Saudi Vision 2030: New Avenue of Tourism in Saudi Arabia

    The crown prince Mohammad bin Salman announced Saudi vision 2030 on 25 April 2016. In the Saudi vision 2030 aim to diversify their oil economy into various sectors. In this vision...

  24. Saudi Vision 2030 Power List: The travel and tourism leaders

    In the following Saudi Arabia Vision 2030 Power List, we look at 30 leaders across travel and tourism doing their part in fulfi lling the Vision. Listed in alphabetical order by first name, Saudi Vision 2030 Power List includes giga-project bosses, general managers, aviation experts and more.

  25. Vision 2030

    The vision is built around three primary themes: a vibrant society, a thriving economy and an ambitious nation. In order to achieve a vibrant society, Saudi Arabia will focus on its people and the Islamic faith. This will happen through a series of commitments, including: increasing the number of Umrah visitors from 8 million to 30 million ...

  26. Quality of Life Program

    Launched in 2018, the Quality of Life Program is transforming Saudi Arabia into a world-renowned sports and entertainment location, a global tourism hotspot, and a top-ranked country people can call home. Enhancing a wide variety of sectors, the Program focuses on the empowerment of arts and culture, promotion of sports and leading a healthy ...

  27. Saudi Arabia's 2030 Agenda: Half Time Report

    Vision 2030 aims to diversify the Kingdom's economy historically oil dependent economy and boost growth through a raft of structural reforms. The Citi Research report points out that Saudi Arabia's need to step up efforts at economic diversification has become even greater as the world has accelerated toward economies that are less carbon ...

  28. How Saudi Arabia is using its oil influence to fund fantastical ...

    For decades, Saudi Arabia's economy has been defined by its abundant oil reserves. But with a plan known as Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia is trying to pivot away from that economic base.

  29. Saudi Arabia eyes 7.5 mn Indian visitors by 2030, offers 96-hour ...

    Emphasising India as a pivotal market, he highlighted a substantial 50 per cent growth in Indian visitors to Saudi Arabia last year, outlining plans to achieve the 2030 vision.