��������Ƶ

RIYADH: Riyadh is set to become the capital of the global tourism industry as the Kingdom steadily diversifies its economy in line with the goals set out in ��������Ƶ's Vision 2030 strategy, ��������Ƶ’s Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb said. 

Speaking at the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh on Oct. 25, Al-Khateeb said in order to give incoming travelers the best experience possible, the nation is building spectacular destinations which will operate in a sustainable manner. 

“We have the vision, we put the plan, and we put all the resources, especially the financial resources to deliver the plan,” said Al-Khateeb. 

Al-Khateeb further noted ��������Ƶ’s tourism sector is strongly rebounding after the pandemic. 

“We recovered about 60 percent versus pre-pandemic. People have started to travel. ��������Ƶ achieved a historical number this year in terms of the number of visitors,” said Al-Khateeb. 

He added: “We are almost half way to delivering our plan, we’re achieving many successes. We will see more destinations in the near future that will put ��������Ƶ at the top.” 

Despite the World Bank’s prediction of a global slowdown, Al-Khateeb noted that the tourism industry will not face any negative effects, and predicted that the number of arrivals to ��������Ƶ will soar by 300 percent and the spending in the sector will grow by 320 percent by 2030. 

As a part of the National Tourism Strategy, ��������Ƶ has allocated $100 million to train young Saudis to work in the sector. 

For her part, Julia Simpson, president of the World Tourism and Travel Council, lauded Al-Khateeb and said that she has never seen such ambition for tourism in any other country. 

“I really applaud the work of his Excellency Al Khateeb because I have never ever seen an ambition for tourism quite like I am seeing here. The investment, the commitment, the energy, the drive. After this wonderful conference, we will hold a summit here on November 28,” added Simpson.