meed-logo

line1 line2 line3
SIGN IN / REGISTER

Saudi Arabia showcases tourism plans

22 May 2023

 

Saudi Arabia has emerged as the world’s biggest investor in tourism, with $550bn dedicated to developing new destinations by 2030. 

Initially aiming to attract 100 million visitors a year, as outlined in Vision 2030, the Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) has now set its sights on surpassing this goal. 

By 2030, tourism is projected to contribute more than 10 per cent of Saudi Arabia’s GDP, generating an additional one million jobs.

“The world in the 1920s came to Saudi for oil. Now the world will come in the 2020s for tourism,” said the STA’s CEO Fahd Hamidaddin at the Arabian Travel Market 2023 event recently held in Dubai. “Tourism is the new oil.”

During the exhibition, Saudi Arabia made its grandest appearance to date, showcasing its premier destinations and offering an array of 500 bookable experiences and packages through 67 partners on the stand.

The world in the 1920s came to Saudi for oil. Now the world will come in the 2020s for tourism
Fahd Hamidaddin, Saudi Tourism Authority

Robust growth

Last year, the kingdom recorded a 121 per cent surge in visitor numbers, compared with pre-Covid levels. There were 93.5 million visits in 2022, made up of 77 million domestic travellers and 16.5 million international tourists.

On the back of these figures, the volume of projects associated with hospitality and entertainment is soaring.

The Saudi General Entertainment Authority has granted operating licences to 24 theme parks in the country and issued over 4,000 permits for events and a further 3,370 licences for live performances during 2022, reports UK-based property consultancy Knight Frank.

The kingdom also aims to add 315,000 new hotel rooms by 2030, at an estimated cost of $37.8bn. If all these keys become available, it will mean the country’s hotel room inventory will surpass the UAE’s 200,000 rooms.

At least 225,000 of the rooms are being developed by Saudi Arabia’s gigaprojects. Neom plans to develop about 200 hotels, with international chains competing to operate the properties.

The heritage destination Al-Ula aims to have 5,000 hotel rooms by 2030, while The Red Sea Project has plans for 8,000 rooms across 22 resorts within a decade. The cost of delivering all these hotel rooms is estimated at $110bn, according to Knight Frank and STR Global.

Domestic tourism 

While Saudi Arabia aspires to become one of the world’s top five tourist destinations, it is domestic tourism that currently plays a pivotal role in unlocking the country’s potential.

Out of a population of 36 million, approximately 65 per cent of Saudi nationals make between one and three trips within the kingdom each month, according to Knight Frank.

To further bolster domestic tourism, experts stress the need to expand Saudi Arabia’s transport infrastructure to enhance internal mobility. 

“Supporting hospitality infrastructure, such as new airports and national airlines, combined with a legislative framework that eases access to the sector for international investors will be critical,” said Knight Frank’s head of hospitality in Saudi Arabia, Turab Saleem.

The masterplan for King Salman International airport in Riyadh envisages the facility becoming the world’s largest airport by passenger capacity, with the ability to welcome 185 million passengers by 2050. The airport will house a new national flag carrier, Riyadh Air, which is expected to start operations in 2024.

Riyadh is also working on other airport projects, and in March France’s Egis Group landed a contract for 26 airports in Saudi Arabia. 

MEED's latest special report on Saudi Arabia includes:

> GIGAPROJECTS: Saudi Arabia under project pressure
> ECONOMY: Riyadh steps up the Vision 2030 tempo
> CONSTRUCTION: Saudi construction project ramp-up accelerates
> UPSTREAM: Aramco slated to escalate upstream spending
> DOWNSTREAM: Petchems ambitions define Saudi downstream
> POWER: Saudi Arabia reinvigorates power sector
> WATER: Saudi water begins next growth phase
> BANKING: Saudi banks bid to keep ahead of the pack
> DATABANK: Riyadh holds its buoyant economic heading

https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/10855371/main.gif
Eva Levesque

Register for MEED's guest program now to access this article.

Click here to register
Exclusive from Meed
Related Articles
  • Chinese firm wins Qiddiya Janadriyah cultural district hotels

    30 June 2026

     

    Beijing-headquartered China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) has won a contract to deliver the Janadriyah cultural district at Qiddiya entertainment city on the outskirts of Riyadh.

    The contract was awarded by gigaproject developer Qiddiya Investment Company (QIC).

    The scope covers the construction of six structures, including a heritage building, a gateway hotel, a wadi hotel, a creative hub, a community centre and an open-air market.

    QIC tendered the contract in December last year, as MEED exclusively reported.

    The award is CSCEC’s second major win at Qiddiya in recent weeks.

    Earlier this week, MEED exclusively reported that QIC had awarded CSCEC a contract to build a new transport hub at Qiddiya entertainment city.

    The project is located within the resort core zone of the development.

    MEED understands the scope includes construction of a parking structure for up to 2,000 vehicles; a transport hub comprising a passenger flow system and ticketing and transit-related facilities; retail, food and beverage and hospitality facilities; mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) systems; and soft and hard landscaping works.

    QIC is accelerating plans to develop additional assets at Qiddiya City.

    Last week, MEED reported that QIC had invited contractors to prequalify for a contract to build an indoor sports arena within its Qiddiya entertainment city project.

    The multipurpose arena is designed to International Olympic Committee standards.

    It will be located in District 18, in the Uptown South area of Qiddiya.

    Once completed, the indoor arena will be capable of hosting a wide range of sports, cultural and entertainment events.

    The arena will feature numerous sports courts for basketball, handball, futsal, volleyball, tennis, boxing and gymnastics.

    It will have a seating capacity of 18,000 spectators.

    QIC’s other major projects include an e-sports arena, the National Tennis Centre, Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Stadium, a motorsports track, a racecourse, the Dragon Ball and Six Flags theme parks, and Aquarabia.

    QIC opened the Six Flags theme park to the public in December last year.

    The park covers 320,000 square metres and features 28 rides and attractions, including 10 thrill rides and 18 aimed at families and young children.

    The Qiddiya project is a key part of Riyadh’s strategy to boost leisure tourism in the kingdom.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17489285/main.jpg
    Yasir Iqbal
  • Aldar launches Yas Island community park project

    30 June 2026

    Abu Dhabi-based real estate developer Aldar, in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Department of Community Development (DCD), has announced the launch of Yas Community Park on Yas Island.

    A key feature of the park is Nabdh Yas, a community hub developed in collaboration with DCD.

    Once open, Nabdh Yas will serve as a central gathering space and host a range of community-led programmes.

    In a statement, Aldar said: “Nabdh Yas will be delivered on a public-private partnership (PPP) basis, marking the first time private sector investment has been directed towards this type of community infrastructure.

    “With DCD overseeing the hub’s development and long-term management, the initiative reflects Abu Dhabi’s focus on innovative approaches that generate lasting social value and enhance community wellbeing,” the statement added.

    A memorandum of understanding was signed between Aldar and DCD.

    The agreement establishes a framework to expand the Nabdh Community Hub model across Aldar developments in Abu Dhabi, Al-Ain and Al-Dhafra.

    Last month, Aldar announced its Q1 financial results, reporting a 20% year-on-year increase in net profit after tax to AED2.3bn ($626m).

    Aldar Development recorded a 14% year-on-year rise in revenue to $1.7bn, while earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) increased 23% to $599m.

    UAE revenue backlog rose to $17bn at the end of March from $16.6bn at the end of December, with an average duration of 29 months.

    The group attributed its performance to revenue from its development backlog and steady income from its investment properties.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17489270/main.jpeg
    Yasir Iqbal
  • Dubai sets August deadline for Airport Express metro bids

    30 June 2026

     

    Dubai’s Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) has given consultants until 10 August to submit proposals for a contract to study and design the Airport Express Line, which will extend from Dubai International airport (DXB) in the Al-Garhoud area to Al-Maktoum International Airport (DWC) in the Jebel Ali area.

    The previous deadline was 8 July.

    The proposed line will stretch about 55 kilometres and include five stations, providing passengers with facilities such as remote airline check-in, baggage drop-off and security screening.

    The RTA issued the tender in April, with an initial deadline of June, as MEED reported.

    The new line will run from the Red Line metro station at DXB through Al Jaddaf, along Al-Khail Road to a new station at Jumeirah Village Circle (JVC), before continuing to DWC.

    There will be two spur lines. The first will run from the new JVC station to Al-Fardan Exchange metro station at Emirates Golf Club, while the second will branch towards Business Bay, where another station will be built.

    The new line appears to follow a similar route to the Etihad Rail high-speed railway project, which is under construction and due to be completed by 2030.

    The Airport Express Line scheme is the latest metro project to be tendered by the RTA this year. Earlier this month, MEED exclusively reported that the RTA had issued the request for qualification notice for a contract to build the new Gold Line, as part of its expansion of the Dubai Metro network.

    Tendering activity is also ongoing for the Route 2020 extension, which will start from the Expo 2020 metro station and connect to DWC’s West Terminal.

    MEED exclusively reported in April that consultants had submitted bids for the project.

    The extension to the line will run for about 3km and will feature two stations.

    The existing Route 2020 metro link is a 15km-long line that branches off the Red Line at Jebel Ali metro station. The line comprises 11.8km of elevated tracks and 3.2km of tunnels, and has five elevated stations and two underground stations.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17489266/main.jpg
    Yasir Iqbal
  • Eni increases gas production in Libya

    30 June 2026

    The Italian oil and gas company Eni has announced the startup of offshore gas production enabled by the Sabratha compression project in Libya.

    The client on the project was Mellitah Oil & Gas (MOG), a joint venture of Eni and Libya’s state-owned National Oil Corporation (NOC).

    The Sabratha compression project was designed to increase gas output from the Bahr Essalam gas field, located approximately 100 kilometres off Libya’s coast.

    The scope of the project included the installation of a new 1,600-tonne compression module on the Sabratha platform, equipped with new compression trains, providing an overall compression capacity of about 440 million cubic feet a day.

    In a statement, Eni said: “The new module enables production under low-pressure conditions, offsetting the natural decline of the Bahr Essalam field and maximising gas recovery, ensuring increased volumes of gas of about 800 million cubic metres per year and associated condensate.

    “This additional production will play a critical role in sustaining national power generation, reinforcing Libya’s energy security, and supporting export to Italy via the Greenstream pipeline.”

    The company also said that the project strengthened the resilience of Libya’s gas infrastructure and represented “a tangible contribution to the stability and growth of the country’s energy sector”.

    MOG also has two other projects in Libya that are currently under execution.

    The first is the Bouri gas utilisation project, whose tie-in and commissioning activities are under way following the recent installation of the Bouri gas recovery module.

    The other project, known as ‘Structures A&E’, will develop two offshore gas fields.

    Eni has been present in Libya since 1959 and last year had average equity production in the country of approximately 162,000 barrels of oil equivalent a day.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17489032/main3444.jpg
    Wil Crisp
  • Jordan faces fresh round of challenges

    29 June 2026

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17479483/main.gif
    MEED Editorial