Saudi Arabia aims to triple the number of foreign tourists this year

Tourism Minister and member of NEOM's board of directors Ahmed Al-Khateeb has said Saudi Arabia aims to triple the number of its foreign visitors in 2022 by easing restrictions related to the Covid-19 pandemic and the return of foreign pilgrims.

The increase in domestic travel helped in 2020 and 2021, where a record number of 64 million visits was documented by the authorities.

Speaking to AFP news agency, Al-Khateeb said the Kingdom wants to get an additional share of the international market as explained.

"Now we are pushing to attract more foreign visitors,"

he said, noting that this year's goal is to record 12 million visits, compared to four million visits in 2021.

The mega projects launched by the Crown Prince are part of the Kingdom's plans to attract foreign tourists. At the top of these projects are the future city of NEOM, with an investment estimated at SR500 billion, and the development of Diriya.

According to Al-Khateeb, the restaurant area in Diriya is scheduled to open next September, while other areas will operate from 2025 onward.

"This is a new level of tourism that does not exist now, and Saudi Arabia will change the tourism landscape globally. The destinations that Saudi Arabia will offer by 2030 will be something completely different,"

he added.

Saudi Arabia moved from 43rd position in 2019 to 33rd in 2021 in global tourism rankings, as a result of improvements across almost all indicators. This was the first report to be released since Saudi Arabia reopened its historical places and other attractions for international tourism.

News Source: The Saudi Gazette