saudi tourism latest news

• Environment
• Road to Net Zero
• Art & Design
• Film & TV
• Music & On-stage
• Pop Culture
• Fashion & Beauty
• Home & Garden
• Things to do
• Combat Sports
• Horse Racing
• Beyond the Headlines
• Trending Middle East
• Business Extra
• Culture Bites
• Year of Elections
• Pocketful of Dirhams
• Books of My Life
• Iraq: 20 Years On

'Tourism is the new oil': How Saudi Arabia is targeting an influx of travellers

The kingdom now claims the title of the world’s fastest growing tourism destination.

Saudi Arabia is the world's fastest growing tourism destination and there is a lot more to come said Fahd Hamidaddin, chief executive of Saudi Tourism Authority. Photo: Saudi Tourism

In September 2019, Saudi Arabia opened its doors to wide-scale tourism for the first time.

Launching its first tourist visa, the kingdom began welcoming visitors from 49 countries around the globe and it wasn't long before travellers were flocking there to explore its ancient history and discover more about a destination that had been sealed off for decades.

But the first chapter of this story was short-lived as the Covid-19 pandemic hit six months later, halting most international travel .

Despite that, tourism within the country thrived and Saudi Arabia now claims the title of the world’s fastest growing tourism destination, according to data from the UN World Tourism Organisation.

Fahd Hamidaddin, chief executive of the Saudi Tourism Authority, told The National at Arabian Travel Market in Dubai : “During the pandemic, even the wealthiest — the yacht and private jet owners — had no option but to fly within Saudi. So they discovered the country by force, and now they're continuing to discover it by choice.”

And with pandemic restrictions now a thing of the past, Saudi Arabia is gearing up for its next chapter.

42,000 new hotel rooms in the pipeline

In 2022, more than 93.5 million tourists visited Saudi Arabia, 77 million of whom were domestic travellers and 16.5 million were international tourists.

The country has committed $550 billion to tourism development across the kingdom by 2030, the largest global investment in tourism by far. And there are 42,000 new hotel rooms in the pipeline, easily the most in the GCC region, says Hamidaddin.

This initial success has led the country’s leaders to reassess the original 100 million visitor target it set as part of the Saudi Vision 2030 programme and new targets are currently being agreed upon.

Despite the rapid development, there’s still a shortage of facilities to satisfy travel demand. “The main challenges today are a shortage of airlifts, accommodation and experiences,” says Hamidaddin.

Saudi Arabia’s home-grown version of Airbnb

One company aiming to help fill that gap is Gathern, currently the country’s best performing tourism company says the Saudi Tourism chief executive.

“Gathern is the alternative Airbnb, the Saudi version. It’s a home-sharing platform that started with a few hundred listings and I think today it has exceeded 20,000 across the country,” says Hamidaddin.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Gathern | جاذرإن (@gathernapp)

Listings include all types of accommodation from villas, farms and caravans to yachts and rustic chalets. There is also a wide variety of room rates on offer, catering towards different budgets — something that seems to be missing from many of the country’s tourism megaprojects.

From Banyan Tree AlUla to Six Senses Southern Dunes (launching as the first resort at The Red Sea destination in the coming months) or the Four Seasons heading to Neom’s Sinadalah Island, luxury accommodation seems to be the focus. However, it is a trend that the country's tourism authority are aware of.

“It’s important that we cater for all travellers, by social income class and by travel purpose. People that travel for wellness are very different than those that travel for adventure, culture and events. And so we need to make sure that our offering is looked at holistically,” says Hamidaddin.

In Riyadh — home to the towering Kingdom Centre and historic Masmak fort — there are plenty of hotel options to choose from, ranging from budget stays to luxury boutique hotels. But even here, there’s work to be done.

“Riyadh has so many hotels, many of which are on highways. But when I think of Dubai, the best performing hotels are not the ones on Sheikh Zayed Road, people don’t want to stay on a highway. I think what we want is to ensure that travellers can come and find a place to stay, and things to do that are connected and accessible,” says Hamidaddin.

Changing perceptions of a kingdom

Hamidaddin accepts there are other challenges facing Saudi Arabia’s tourism industry, including how the country is still perceived by some internationally.

“In every industry, in any market, when a new brand comes in, there are the early adopters, the followers, the laggers and there are the sceptics that will never try that brand, that will say it’s not for me, and that’s fine.”

“The best way to address the perception of Saudi Arabia is by having travellers come see it for themselves. And that has served us the best.

“The early adopters have been blown away, not just by the offering of the place, but mostly by the people. And I think the people are the most telling about what this country is, and how different from the perceptions and preconceptions that people had.”

Tourism is Saudi Arabia's new oil

Over the coming years, Saudi Arabia will aim to entice travellers with several new destinations and developments.

In Diriyah, the 300-year-old city and birthplace of Saudi Arabia, ancient Unesco-protected sites have reopened to visitors with plans for a boulevard consisting of an opera house, fashion houses, art galleries, cafes and more.

On the Red Sea coast, the site of some ambitious luxury tourism projects, a new airport and the first three hotels in a pipeline of 50 will open this year, offering travellers access to a cluster of unexplored islands and inland sites.

In futuristic Neom , Sindalah Island will open early next year with the launch of three properties from Marriott, including the first Autograph Collection Hotels property in the kingdom.

In 2026, Trojena at Neom will open in the kingdom's highest mountain range. This snow-capped mountain will be the first major outdoor skiing destination in the GCC, and host the2029 Asian Winter Games. It will also offer glamping and nature-laden stays at Collective Trojena , the region's first eco-glamp site.

A slew of events, such as electronic dance music festival MDLBeast Soundstorm, the F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Riyadh Season and AlUla Skies hot-air balloon festival are also on the calendar.

Each of these developments and events are part of Saudi Arabia's mission to diversify away from oil, something that simply cannot be done without tourism.

“The WTTC [the World Travel and Tourism Council] said one of every five new jobs came from tourism in the last decade, and one of every four new jobs will come from the industry in the coming five to 10 years. While other industries lose jobs to robots, these human-led sectors continue to provide and tourism sits at the forefront for us,” says Hamidaddin.

“What we're doing, we are doing for our people, for our economy, and the world is going to reward us. In the 1920s the world came to Saudi for oil, but in the 2020s, we're expecting the people of the world to come for tourism. And that's why we say that tourism is the new oil.”

Grand Hyatt The Red Sea is part of phase one of the mega-tourism project in Saudi Arabia. All photos: The Red Sea Development Company

Checking In

Travel updates and inspiration from the past week

Saudi Arabia, China’s tourists and Sino-Saudi relations

Tourism is a pillar of Saudi Vision 2030, and China ranks very high globally as a source of tourists.

Saudi Arabia and China’s strengthening relationship is increasingly important to both Riyadh and Beijing as the kingdom pushes ahead with Vision 2030 and China with its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Saudi Arabia’s geoeconomic pivot to the East and China’s growing footprint in the kingdom’s economy highlight how bilateral ties have strengthened in recent years.

Synergies between Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia’s ambitious economic diversification agenda unveiled in 2016, and the BRI offer the potential to further connect the two countries in the years to come.

Keep reading

China has been spying from cuba for years, says us official, how will saudi arabia’s oil output cut affect prices, blinken starts saudi arabia visit aimed at steadying relations, saudi arabia privatises football clubs, eyes big-name signings.

Tourism is a pillar of Saudi Vision 2030, and China ranked number one globally as a source of tourists in 2019, with Chinese people making 155 million outbound trips and spending more than $250bn while vacationing outside of China. Because of the COVID pandemic, the numbers for 2020 and 2021 dropped down to 20 and 26 million tourists, respectively.

The Saudi government seeks to bring in an annual $46bn in tourism revenue by the end of this decade, and it can achieve much growth with more Chinese vacationers coming to Saudi Arabia. In 2019, just before the COVID pandemic caused Saudi Arabia’s tourism revenues to plummet, the kingdom’s receipts from this sector reached $19.85bn – the highest ever.

Growing together?

As China recovers from the major economic setbacks caused by the country’s stringent zero-COVID policies, Saudi Arabia is focused on tapping into its tourism market as the number of Chinese travelling overseas as tourists will naturally rise. In March, Saudi Tourism Authority CEO Fahd Hamidaddin met with China’s Vice Minister of Culture and Tourism Rao Quan to discuss launching joint tourism initiatives aimed at helping the kingdom attract nearly four million Chinese tourists a year by 2030.

Beijing sees Vision 2030’s success as extremely important to China’s own interests in the Middle East. If the kingdom’s economy fails to diversify beyond oil, there will be a devastating economic crash that could lead to new layers of instability in the region, threatening the BRI and China’s global trade ambitions that have the most to gain from lasting peace and stability on the Arabian Peninsula.

The Saudis are “determined to make tourism and entertainment their number two national industry after oil and energy. Chinese tourism is a potentially huge market for them,” Hussein Ibish, a senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington (AGSIW), told Al Jazeera. “If they can tap into that vast potential, it will be another large step forward in moving beyond total reliance on hydrocarbons for foreign exchange and commerce.”

“Many of the Gulf’s tourism hubs are hoping to capitalise on a return of Chinese tourists after years of lockdown in China,” Robert Mogielnicki, a senior resident scholar at AGSIW, told Al Jazeera.

As Saudi Arabia works to make itself one of those hubs, Ibish added, “There are many possible reasons for Chinese tourists to make the trip, even just to experience a radically different culture and environment to their own.”

As Ibish explained, the kingdom has three main attractions that could bring in many tourists. First, ancient Saudi sites such as the oasis city of al-Ula in Medina province have some of the oldest relics and monuments on Earth. Second, Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast, mountains and rock landscapes have a natural beauty that would appeal to tourists. Third, as the Saudi economy diversifies, there is a growing entertainment sector offering concerts, cultural fairs, sports events, car shows, and so on while Neom – a planned megacity in northwestern Saudi Arabia, which is supposed to house up to 2 million people by 2030 – can potentially lure many tourists to the kingdom.

According to Ahmed Aboudouh, nonresident fellow with the Middle East Programs at the Atlantic Council, Saudi Arabia seems to have studied Japan’s national tourism strategy and Australia’s China 2020 Strategic Plan very closely.

These plans include “relaxing visa policies, improving air links, upgrading travel services and other targeted approaches, including utilising traditional Chinese media and popular social media platforms to promote Saudi destinations and rolling out technological payment solutions”, Aboudouh said.

“Chinese tourists’ spending power will not only supply the local market and create jobs in Saudi Arabia but will also consolidate supply chains between China and the Gulf and boost the aviation industry in the region. In addition to [their] vast potential to support Saudi plans to diversify the economy … Chinese tourists are a crucial component in the cultural exchange leg of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two,” he added.

Regional and international competition

There is much to say about competition for Chinese tourists. If Saudi Arabia attracts more, it could undermine the number of Chinese tourists fellow Gulf states and European countries are attracting so far.

“There is definitely regional competition for tourists,” explained Mogielnicki. “[T]here will be winners and losers when it comes to the top Chinese tourism destinations in the Gulf.”

Aboudouh told Al Jazeera that the kingdom’s incentives for Chinese tourism may trigger competition with neighbouring Oman and the UAE, which will “manifest in more incentives, travel offers, and regulations aimed at empowering local travel agencies and deals with the Chinese travel market”.

Within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), intensified competition for Chinese tourists could put Beijing in a challenging position in terms of its “hedging” strategy aimed at balancing Beijing’s good relations with all Gulf countries by avoiding moving too close to any one country. Therefore, Aboudouh expects to see a “balanced outbound Chinese tourism policy to the famous Gulf destinations and a focus on utilising the BRI and Global Development Initiative to avoid alienating any of China’s Gulf partners in the region”.

But experts believe that this will not inevitably be a zero-sum game of competition for the Gulf nations. Rail and visa schemes could serve to increase connectivity between Saudi Arabia and the other five GCC member states, which “may allow Gulf countries to spread the incoming tourism wealth around the region in a way that was more difficult to do in the past”, according to Mogielnicki.

Tourism’s importance to Sino-Saudi relations

Most discussions about the kingdom’s multidimensional relationship with China do not concern tourism, which is not the most important aspect of ties between the two nations. The most important aspects of Sino-Saudi relations appear to be oil, trade, and sensitive technology.

Yet, growing tourism links will do much to deepen Sino-Saudi relations in ways that go beyond economics. “The tourism angle helps to fill out the various contours of this expanding relationship,” Mogielnicki told Al Jazeera.

“Greater tourism flows from China to Saudi Arabia will likewise have a social and cultural impact in the kingdom.”

As Ibish explained, expanded Sino-Saudi tourism ties “would go a long way to strengthening the Saudi economic transition and promoting people-to-people exchange and understanding, which can be the bedrock for other aspects of a stronger partnership.”

Saudi Arabia international tourists gets boosted by 142%

Wednesday, December 20, 2023

Tags: saudi arabia , Tourists

Subscribe to our Newsletters

Related Posts

• Visit 86 Countries, El Salvador Allowing Visa-free Entry Now
• Riyadh Air Unveils Exclusive Fashion Collection At Paris Haute Couture Week
• Belarus is surging the travel Industry with new visa-free entry policy for 125 countries, including Australia, US, China and Schengen Nations
• Turkish Airlines new flight route between Rize and Jeddah to boost Middle East and Eurasian travel industry
• Chief Special Advisor Gloria Guevara Manzo Leaves Saudi Ministry of Tourism

Select Your Language

I want to receive travel news and trade event update from Travel And Tour World. I have read Travel And Tour World's Privacy Notice .

REGIONAL NEWS

European Weather Challenges Hit Wizz Air with Delays and Cancellations

Saturday, June 29, 2024

All You Have to Know About Tourist Surge In Turks & Caicos Island

Governor Whitmer Appoints New Judge to the 56th Circuit Court in Eaton County

Friday, June 28, 2024

Middle East

Air Arabia Launches Direct Sharjah-Athens Flights, Boosts Travel Options

Dubai World Trade Centre to Host Monumental SuperBridge Summit 2024 with Theme I

UN Tourism Highlights Rapid And Astonishing Recovery in Asia-Pacific With 82% Of

Where Luxury Meets Victoria Harbour: Regent Hong Kong Named Best Hotel

Upcoming shows.

Jun 30 m&i Tbilisi 24 June 30 - July 4 Jul 01 ILTM ASIA PACIFIC 2024 July 1 - July 4 Jul 12 TRAVEL MADNESS EXPO 2024 July 12 - July 14 Jul 12 TTF KOLKATA July 12 - July 14

Privacy Overview

• Mediakit (PDF)

Visit Saudi Arabia: News You Can Use

Saudi Arabia Designer Ashi Reveals Stunning Riyadh Air Collection During Haute Couture Week in Paris

Riyadh Air stunned the catwalk during Haute Couture Week in Pairs when it revealed its inaugural fashion uniforms for front line crew members created by Saudi fashion designer Ashi. The airline which is owned by the Saudi Public...

KSA Offers E-Visas to Esports World Cup Ticket Holders

Saudi Tourism Minister Applauds Approved Destination Status with China

Mystery Shoppers Used to Improve Services During Hajj Season

Saudi Arabia National Airline Ranks in Top 5 in the World

Saudi Arabia’s Madinah Appears as Rising Tourism Star

Saudi travel industry news.

Saudi Arabia Designer Ashi Reveals Stunning Riyadh Air...

Saudi Tourism Minister Applauds Approved Destination...

Saudi Arabia Welcomes International Investors to its...

Saudi Tourism Minister Presides Over 121st UNWTO...

Saudi Tourism Highlights Kingdom at NYU International...

Saudi travel & tourism industry news.

Advertisement

Supported by

Rich Gulf States Have Huge Ambitions. Will Extreme Heat Hold Them Back?

The high temperatures blamed for the deaths of pilgrims in Saudi Arabia are taking a broad toll in countries that have spent vast sums to attract tourists and investors.

• Share full article

By Ben Hubbard

The wealthy petrostates of the Persian Gulf have big plans for the future, hoping to increasingly attract tourists and investors, host marquee sporting events, build new cities and diversify their economies away from oil.

But they face a looming threat that they cannot easily buy their way out of: extreme and sometimes deadly heat that roasts their countries every summer, which climate change is expected to exacerbate in the coming decades.

Sweltering temperatures drive up energy demand, wear down infrastructure, endanger laborers and render even simple outdoor activities not only unpleasant, but potentially perilous. That all will impose a significant long-term tax on the vast ambitions of Gulf countries, experts say.

“We keep thinking we want to go bigger and larger, but we don’t think about the implications of climate change in the future,” said Aisha Al-Sarihi, a research fellow from Oman at the Middle East Institute at National University of Singapore. “If we keep expanding and expanding, it means we need more energy, more water and more electricity, especially for cooling. But there are limits, and we see those limits today.”

The threat of extreme heat became clear this week when Saudi Arabia announced that more than 1,300 people had died during the annual hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, including at least 11 Americans . Saudi officials said that most of those who perished had made the trip without permits that would have granted them access to heat protections, leaving them vulnerable to temperatures that at times exceeded 120 degrees.

The deaths raised questions about Saudi Arabia’s management of the event, which drew more than 1.8 million Muslims to the holy city of Mecca.

The kingdom and other countries throughout the Gulf are pouring tremendous amounts of their oil wealth into efforts to boost their economies and move up the list of popular global destinations.

Saudi Arabia is building super-high-end resorts on the Red Sea coast and a futuristic city known as Neom in its northwestern desert. Qatar hosted the men’s soccer World Cup last year and has brought in other international sporting events and trade shows. The United Arab Emirates put on a splashy World Expo and its business friendly policies have helped it become a playground for the hyperwealthy.

But these countries face significant environmental challenges.

All have long had searingly hot summers, but scientists say that climate change has already made the season longer and hotter — a trend expected to accelerate in the coming decades. Some projections warn of weekslong heat waves with temperatures of up to 132 degrees during the second half of this century. Temperatures that high can endanger human life.

Gulf countries, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar, are among the world’s most water-stressed, meaning that the water available barely keeps up with demand. That requires them to import water or remove the salt from seawater, an expensive and energy-intensive process.

Many Gulf countries have announced sweeping environmental initiatives aimed at slashing carbon emissions, greening big cities and developing climate-friendly technologies. They have also invested heavily in efforts to mitigate the dangers of extreme heat — often with measures that other Middle Eastern countries grappling with high temperatures, like Egypt, Yemen and Iraq, cannot afford.

But money is not always enough.

This month, sudden power outages hit parts of Kuwait, a major oil exporter. In some areas, traffic lights went out and people got stuck in elevators as the temperature soared to 125 degrees.

The authorities blamed rising energy demand that overwhelmed the power stations. To reduce the load, the government has imposed rolling blackouts during the hottest hours of the day, forcing people to seek out alternative air-conditioned spaces.

The summer heat drastically restricts life in Kuwait, altering when people work and sleep and keeping those who can afford it in air-conditioned environments.

Fatima Al Sarraf, a family doctor in Kuwait City, said she took long runs in the winter but was forced to run on an indoor treadmill or go to the mall in the summer to get her daily steps.

“I do not go outside at all,” said Dr. Al Sarraf, 27.

She fears for the future.

“If the temperature keeps rising, especially in the summer periods, it is expected that Kuwait will be uninhabitable,” she said. “This change will definitely affect future generations.”

Other countries appear to be better managing the heat, though they still face challenges.

Qatar has used wealth generated from its status as one of the world’s top exporters of liquefied natural gas to cool outdoor areas, even during the hottest times of day. Stadiums it built for the 2023 World Cup were outfitted with outdoor air conditioning so they could be used year-round. One city park in the capital, Doha, boasts an air-conditioned running track , and an outdoor cooling system was recently unveiled in a popular outdoor market.

“There is a cooling ecosystem,” said Neeshad Shafi, a Qatar-based nonresident fellow at the Middle East Institute. “Everything has to be cooled — more cooled parks, more cooled gardens, more cooled shopping areas, more cooled souks are coming up every day.”

But those technologies are expensive — and even more so to deploy over large areas.

“You can’t cool everything in a country,” Mr. Shafi said.

Nor are the protections afforded by such technologies routinely available to the most vulnerable, including the millions of migrant laborers who do everything from construction work to gardening in the Gulf. Many have no choice but to work outside, and studies have shown that working in extreme heat increases accidents and can damage the body .

To protect outdoor laborers, Qatar and other Gulf States have imposed bans on most outdoor work during the hottest parts of summer days. This year, Kuwait extended those protections to motorcycle delivery drivers, who had been roasting inside their helmets on sweltering asphalt.

But nighttime temperatures are also stifling, and as their countries get hotter, governments may need to extend the work bans or take further measures.

“These countries are fast-moving, but the temperature is moving faster than them,” Mr. Shafi said.

Rising temperatures could also hinder Saudi Arabia’s dramatic development plans. Will tourists flock to new luxury resorts when it is too hot to comfortably swim in the Red Sea? Will enough people want to move to the capital, Riyadh, to double its population , when daytime temperatures there already regularly exceed 100 degrees for much of the year?

And as the kingdom warms, keeping the hajj safe will get even harder.

The pilgrimage and its associated rituals involve spending many hours outside and walking long distances. Because the timing of the hajj is based on the lunar calendar, it gradually moves backward through the year and cannot be rescheduled.

The Saudi government has invested billions of dollars to protect pilgrims, providing elaborate sun shades, misting fans and air-conditioned shelters to offer respite from the heat.

But scientists warn that temperatures will be even higher the next time the hajj occurs in the summer, starting in the mid-2040s. One recent study warned that future pilgrims would be exposed to heat exceeding an “extreme danger threshold” unless “aggressive adaptation measures” are taken.

Tariq Al-Olaimy, the managing director of 3BL Associates, a sustainable development consultancy in Bahrain, said he considered this year’s pilgrimage deaths “a wake-up call” because they showed both the successes of heat protections and the risks for people without them.

“The hajj lesson is that if this isn’t a priority for the entire population, there will be fatal consequences,” he said. “But there is also the lesson that when there is proper and adequate heat management, we cannot thrive, but survive.”

Yasmena Almulla contributed reporting from Kuwait City, Kuwait.

Ben Hubbard is the Istanbul bureau chief, covering Turkey and the surrounding region. More about Ben Hubbard

Lionel Messi’s $25 Million Saudi Tourism Deal: Details Revealed in New Report

Peden Doma Bhutia , Skift

June 19th, 2023 at 10:01 AM EDT

Saudi Arabia is being extra cautious, leaving absolutely nothing to chance while attempting to give its global image a makeover.

Peden Doma Bhutia

“Great memory spending a sensational day exploring Diriyah with my family, the birthplace of the Saudi state and home to 300 years of history. #visitsaudi #Diriyah @visitdiryah”

Posted five weeks ago, this Instagram post from renowned footballer Lionel Messi on Saudi Arabia, marked as a paid partnership with Visit Saudi, has garnered around 17 million likes and more than 78,000 comments.

Messi has a massive following of 472 million Instagram users and has been providing occasional glimpses into his travels to Saudi Arabia, which date back to May 2022.

These posts are part of the contractual obligations outlined in his partnership with Saudi Arabia’s tourism authority, according to a new report in the New York Times — a deal that could earn him a staggering $25 million over three years.

What Does Messi’s Contract Specify

According to the Times, the contract requires Messi to serve as an ambassador for Saudi Arabia’s flourishing tourism industry, sharing his visits and experiences on his social media platforms.

Specifying obligations and corresponding payments, the contract entitles Messi to a payment of approximately $2 million for at least one annual family vacation lasting five days or two vacations of three days each. The Saudi government covers travel expenses and provides five-star accommodations for Messi, along with up to 20 family members and friends.

An additional $2 million for promoting Saudi Arabia on Messi’s social media accounts, requiring 10 dedicated posts per year specifically dedicated to promoting the kingdom. This is separate from the promotion of his personal vacations to Saudi Arabia.

Approximately $2 million more for participation in an annual tourism campaign. Messi and the Saudi authority collaborated on the first campaign, a meticulously produced video set in the desert, which was released in November.

Another $2 million designated for charitable work and public appearances.

One key clause, according to the Times: Messi cannot say anything that might “tarnish” Saudi Arabia.

Up until now, the details of Messi’s contract with the tourism authority had been kept confidential. It remains unclear if the contract reviewed by The New York Times is the current version of the agreement.

The document, provided by an anonymous source familiar with the Messi-Saudi arrangement, is dated January 1, 2021, and bears the signatures of Messi and his brother Rodrigo, who serves as his business manager. However, it doesn’t have signatures of Saudi officials.

The Sports Angle in Saudi Tourism Promotion

Saudi Arabia plans to invest $1 trillion in the tourism sector over the next 10 years.

“Today, Saudi Arabia is the largest investing destination in the tourism sector,” Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO of the Saudi Tourism Authority, told Skift in an interview last year.

In recent years, Saudi Arabia has invested billions of dollars in acquiring significant stakes in various professional sports ventures. This includes purchasing a Premier League soccer team, hosting championship boxing matches, securing a place on the Formula 1 auto racing calendar, and a large investment in professional golf.

The country has struggled to win over tourists due to certain societal limitations, including a strict no-drinking policy and severe restrictions for women, as well as allegations of human rights abuses.

American golfer  Jack Nicklaus had said he turned down $100 million to be the face of Saudi-backed LIV Golf Series.

Furthermore, the kingdom has offered substantial financial incentives to attract renowned football players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema to participate in their domestic league.

While Messi declined a similar offer and chose to join Inter Miami of Major League Soccer in the United States, there is no indication that this decision has negatively affected his relationship with the Saudis.

After Messi’s recent trip to Saudi Arabia last month, his French club suspended him for an unauthorized absence from training. Messi apologized to his team and its supporters, explaining that the trip was unavoidable, stating, “I couldn’t cancel it.”

On October 7, last year, Messi posted an Instagram endorsement, in which he wrote, “If you are planning to attend the World Cup and desire an authentic Arabian experience, make sure not to miss out on everything Saudi has to offer!”

The Daily Newsletter

Our daily coverage of the global travel industry. Written by editors and analysts from across Skift’s brands.

Have a confidential tip for Skift? Get in touch

Tags: instagram , middle east , middle east newsletter , new york times , saudi arabia , social media , social media marketing , sports , sports tourism

Photo credit: Lionel Messi's tourism promotion deal with Saudi Arabia could potentially earn him a staggering $25 million over three years. Saudi Tourism Authority

Saudi Arabia says 1,301 people died during this year's Hajj pilgrimage

More than 1,300 people have died during this year's Hajj pilgrimage, according to Saudi Arabia's health minister. 

Fahad Al-Jalajel, quoted by state television on Sunday, said many of the 1,301 deaths were caused by pilgrims "walking long distances under direct sunlight without adequate shelter or comfort".

Fatalities also included a number of elderly people and those suffering from chronic diseases. 

Some 83 per cent of the fatalities were among people who were not authorised to make the pilgrimage, he said.

One Australian has been confirmed among them.

An Egyptian crisis unit tasked with investigating the situation said it had suspended licences of 16 tourism companies and referred them to the public prosecutor. 

The tourism companies are accused of being responsible for deaths the unit said were mainly among pilgrims not registered under the official system.

The unit said 31 deaths were confirmed as a result of chronic illness among officially registered pilgrims.

The Hajj is an annual pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia performed over five to six days. 

It is one of the five pillars of Islam, and all Muslims who are able to must complete it at least once in their lives.

Temperatures at times exceeded 51 degrees Celsius during the Hajj. 

About 1.8 million pilgrims took part this year and 1.6 million of them were from abroad, according to Saudi authorities.

Each year, tens of thousands of pilgrims attempt to perform the Hajj through irregular channels because they cannot afford the often costly procedures for official Hajj visas.

This places these off-the-books pilgrims at risk as they cannot access air-conditioned facilities provided by Saudi authorities along the Hajj route.

Climate scientists have said rising temperatures pose a growing threat to the event, although heat-related deaths along the Hajj are not new and have been recorded back to the 1400s.

The timing of the Hajj is determined by the Islamic lunar calendar, shifting forward each year in the Gregorian calendar.

For the past several years the mainly outdoor rituals have fallen during the sweltering Saudi summer.

Reuters/AFP

• X (formerly Twitter)
• Saudi Arabia

• Latest News
• Emergencies
• Ask the Law
• GN Fun Drive
• Visa+Immigration
• Phone+Internet
• Reader Queries
• Safety+Security
• Banking & Insurance
• Dubai Airshow
• Corporate Tax
• Top Destinations
• Corporate News
• Electronics
• Home and Kitchen
• Consumables
• Saving and Investment
• Budget Living
• Expert Columns
• Community Tips
• Cryptocurrency
• Cooking and Cuisines
• Guide to Cooking
• Art & People
• Friday Partner
• Daily Crossword
• Word Search
• Philippines
• Australia-New Zealand
• Corrections
• Special Reports
• Pregnancy & Baby
• Learning & Play
• Child Health
• For Mums & Dads
• UAE Success Stories
• Live the Luxury
• Culture and History
• Staying Connected
• Entertainment
• Live Scores
• Point Table
• Top Scorers
• Photos & Videos
• Course Reviews
• Learn to Play
• South Indian
• Arab Celebs
• Health+Fitness
• Gitex Global 2023
• Best Of Bollywood
• Special Features
• Investing in the Future
• Know Plan Go
• Gratuity Calculator
• Notifications
• Prayer Times

‘Saudi, Welcome To Arabia’: Lionel Messi stars in latest Saudi tourism campaign

Travel & tourism.

Messi, a Saudi Tourism Ambassador, will be in the country later this month for matches

Riyadh: In yet another star-powered tourism push, and in line with Saudi tourism brand ‘Saudi, Welcome To Arabia’, football star Lionel Messi kicked off the kingdom’s latest campaign.

The new campaign is launching across key target markets in Europe, India and China and is titled ‘Go Beyond What You Think’.

Get exclusive content with Gulf News WhatsApp channel

Aimed at breaking misconceptions, the campaign invites those who know the destination and its vibrant culture to share their Saudi experiences on social media with the hashtag #ShareYourSaudi.

Messi is one of the many football stars who have signed on to promote tourism for the diverse nation, and the star and his family are regular visitors to the country. The latest campaign includes moments from Messi’s Saudi trip with his wife and two children.

The video starring Messi showcases the diversity of the landscape in the country – from the pristine waters of the Red Sea to the lush green mountains in Aseer, snow covered Tabuk, the coastal city of Jeddah and Riyadh, the bustling capital.

Messi, in the video, celebrates the Saudi women who have been trailblazers in their fields and leading Saudi’s cultural transformation such as the Saudi Women’s National football team, motorsport athlete Dania Akeel, DJ Cosmicat, and Rayyanah Barnawi, the first Saudi woman in space.

Visas and stopovers

Saudi Arabia is seeking to attract more foreign visitors and holidaymakers, and has launched many initiatives to promote toursim. This includes opening up an electronic visit visa system to nationals of 63 countries and other eligible residence-visa holders such as GCC residents, residents in the US, the UK, the EU countries and holders of visit visas to the US, UK, and the Schengen area.

Earlier this year, the country launched a four-day or 96-hour free transit visa for visitors looking to perform Umrah, and visit Medina. Travellers can apply for the visa on the platforms of Saudia Airlines and Flynas. These visa holders are eligible for a complimentary one-night hotel stay during the stopover when booking with the national carrier, Saudia.

By the end of 2023, the country hopes to recieve 25 million foreign tourists.

Events and games ahead

Notably, the campaign is launching ahead of Messi’s imminent and much-anticipated Saudi return playing two matches with his current Club, Inter Miami, against Al Nassr on February 1 and against Al Hilal on January 29.

In celebration of Saudi’s activities and attractions, the Messi campaign highlights the Diriyah E-Prix, Riyadh Season’s theme park rides, AlUla’s hot air balloon flights and MDL Beast music events.

Ongoing events include Riyadh Season, Jeddah Season and Diriyah Season, with notable events coming up including the Saudi Cup (February 23-24), Saudi Arabian Grand Prix (March 7-9), AlUla Arts Festival (Feb 9-March 2), AlUla skies festival (April 10-27), among others

More From Tourism

Stay safe abroad: UAE urges caution for travelers

Turkish Airlines aims to soar higher, says CEO Eksi

Philippines: 300% jump in cruise tourists

Dubai Airports set new forecast standards using AI

Why the UAE is the ultimate investment destination

Will Marina 101 tower buyers finally get their homes?

EY relocates headquarters to Riyadh

Will UAE airline salaries see another spike in 2024?

ACWA Power signs $3.3 billion for three energy deals

Oman plans to build $31 million film city

White house seeks billions to rebuild baltimore bridge, nike's biggest drop in 23 years raises pressure on ceo, eu further scrutinises microsoft, openai tie-up, dubai schools top in imparting financial literacy, uk investors urged to enter saudi sports market.

Get Breaking News Alerts From Gulf News

We’ll send you latest news updates through the day. You can manage them any time by clicking on the notification icon.

Australian dies while undertaking Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, DFAT confirms

An Australian is among the hundreds of Muslim pilgrims who have died in Saudi Arabia while completing an annual pilgrimage to Mecca.

Plane forced to make emergency landing

Travellers warned as virus surges in Bali

‘Run, dont walk’: $25 Kmart item lands

An Australian is among the hundreds of people who have died during a Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia when temperatures soared to 50C.

Each year hundreds of people die while undertaking the pilgrimage, with some counts placing mortality rates as high as 900.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) confirmed the death in a statement, and said the agency was providing consular assistance to the person.

“We send our deepest condolences to the family at this difficult time,” the statement said.

Speaking to ABC’s RN Breakfast, a Muslim Chaplain at Curtin University and the University of Western Australia Yayha Ibrahim said it’s believed the pilgrim was an “elderly” man who lived in Sydney.

“It is somebody who was elderly who sadly found his last moments seeking God,” he said.

“The environment is what it is and it is unfortunate that there was a heatwave in the peak of the Hajj.”

The Hajj is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, and is performed from the 8th through the 12th of Dhu al-Hijja, the last month of the Islamic year. This year it occurs between June 14, and June 19.

The event was expected to draw bout about 1.8m Muslims from around the world.

The journey features multiple rituals like spending a day in prayer on Mount Arafat, and a Stoning of the Devil ceremony where pilgrims throw pebbles are three walls in the city of Mina.

While international news sources have compiled data on the deaths of pilgrims undertaking the Hajj, Saudi Arabian authorities have yet to comment on the fatalities.

Drawing data from about 10 countries including Egypt, Jordan, and Indonesia, AFP has reported 1081 deaths during the pilgrimage, including those who were registered and unregistered.

While registered pilgrims have still died amid extreme conditions, they are able to use air-conditioned spaces.

A Qantas flight was forced to make an emergency landing after it brakes failed.

Australians heading to Bali have been issued a stark warning after a recent surge in deadly virus cases in the region.

The popular Aussie retailer has just come out with a handy travel gadget and shoppers can’t wait to get their hands on it.