The sprawling mountains in the south, the redevelopment of Jeddah, the Red Sea coastal city and a futuristic NEOM smart city until 2030 – those are just some of the highlights that Saudi Arabia’s tourism minister hopes will be the main attractions for tourists in the long run.
The Arab kingdom has a “very domestic market” for tourism, Saudi Tourism Minister Ahmed Al Khateeb told CNBC’s Dan Murphy on Wednesday on the sidelines of the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh.
The minister added that he expects China to ease Covid restrictions, which may lead to an influx of Chinese tourists.
“We have [a] very strong devout market, other people visit the two holy cities,” Al Khateeb said.
The kingdom is home to two of Islam’s holy shrines, Mecca and Medina. Before the pandemic, Saudi Arabia earned about $12 billion a year thanks to the 2. 6 million pilgrims embarking on the week-long hajj.
“China used to be a very vital market, but it’s still closed. This year we have noticed strong demand from Europe and the United States,” he said.
“I would like to see some of those restrictions relaxed because the Chinese market is a very big market, not just for Saudi Arabia, for all other countries. “
Al Khateeb also believes that the upcoming World Cup in Qatar “will generate thousands of jobs. “
The FIFA World Cup tournament begins on November 20 and lasts for one month.
Qatar has come under scrutiny in recent months for its treatment of migrant staff hired on structural projects ahead of the tournament.
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