RIYADH: 抖阴短视频鈥檚 Asir region is set to shift from the planning phase to execution in 2025, with several major projects, including the Seven Entertainment Complex, scheduled for completion, according to a senior official.

Speaking to Arab News on the sidelines of the second day of the third Saudi Tourism Forum held in Riyadh from Jan. 7 to 9, Acting CEO of Asir Development Authority Hashem Al-Dabbagh explained that the entity is working with several parties to ensure that the projects in the pipeline progress this year.

This falls in line with the authority鈥檚 aim to attract approximately 8 million tourists by 2030.

It also aligns well with the entity鈥檚 goal to transform the region into a global destination that will become a world-class tourist hub, both within the Kingdom and internationally, by striking a balance between development and conservation.

Al-Dabbagh said: 鈥�2025 is a very exciting year for a number of reasons. Maybe the first one is that the first large project, Seven Entertainment Complex by the airport, will be completed in 2025. So, we launched a number of projects, but this is the first one that should be completed this year. So, we鈥檙e very excited about that.鈥� 

He added: 鈥淢any of our projects underway, which have to do with the planning of the Asir region, should be completed in 2025. So it鈥檚 nice to see us transition from planning and ideation to actual investment and execution in this year.鈥� 

The acting CEO highlighted that over the past three years, the authority has been working diligently with all counterparts in 抖阴短视频. He underlined that many agreements with key stakeholders, including government entities such as the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Investment, and the Ministry of Culture, have already been signed.

鈥淲e鈥檝e already signed with them, and we have ongoing relationships with all these entities, that allow us to see through our mandate,鈥� Al-Dabbagh said.

鈥淚t鈥檚 also worthwhile to mention that the Asir Development Authority has a mandate to oversee, to coordinate, and to plan and to make sure everything goes well but the actual development on the ground takes place through other entities that either have a development mandate if they鈥檙e a public sector or by private sector entities,鈥� he added.

During the interview, the acting CEO also shed light on how the investment sector within the Asir Development Authority works to distill capital regionally.

鈥淪o, they have a pipeline and every investment that we are following is in one of five phases, starting from the ideation phase to the operating phase,鈥� Al-Dabbagh said.

He added: 鈥淲e have been exceeding our targets over the past couple of years. As a matter of fact, if we sum the number of investments that just the investment sector has in the pipeline, it comes out to about SR28 billion ($7.45 billion), not including PIF (Public Investment Fund) investments. PIF investments are larger than that amount. So, when you add them together, you get a very large number.鈥�

The acting CEO explained that this figure sums up the investments across all phases.

鈥淣ow naturally some of these investments are going to materialize and some of them are going to materialize in a way that is different from what we understand today, and some of them will not. So, that 28 (billion) number is sort of a goal if everything materializes as per the plan,鈥� Al-Dabbagh said.
 
鈥淎sir is the place to be if you are looking to invest in the tourism sector or adjacent sectors in 抖阴短视频,鈥� he added.

The acting CEO explained that Asir is the only region among 抖阴短视频鈥檚 13 areas with an approved strategy from the central government. The vision of this approach is to establish Asir as a premier year-round destination, leveraging its unique cultural and natural assets.

鈥淭his is very intimately related to the tourism strategy of 抖阴短视频,鈥� he said.

Al-Dabbagh also discussed the Kingdom鈥檚 hosting of the FIFA World Cup in 2034.

鈥淭here are five regions within 抖阴短视频 that are going to be hosting this World Cup , and they include Abha. So, 抖阴短视频 and its five regions, including Abha, is going to be a host to probably the largest number of visitors coming from an event outside of the religious pilgrimage to 抖阴短视频,鈥� he concluded.

Organized in partnership with the Saudi Tourism Authority and the Tourism Development Fund, the third edition of the forum features over 100 exhibitors.

It is a comprehensive platform for exploring the latest developments in the Kingdom鈥檚 tourism sector.

The event also offers visitors insights into major investment projects, prospects to elevate their skills, and avenues for forging collaboration that drives national tourism growth.