Saudi Arabia is to spend upwards of $13 billion on a new 'tourist city' on its Arabian Gulf coast.
Arab News reported that Prince Sultan bin Salman, Chairman of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA), the first phase of the project will cost $27 million,.
To be built in Al-Oqair, just south of the city of Al-Khobar the project will create 80,000 jobs. The development is just one of a series of tourism megaprojects that Saudi Arabia is developing throughout the Kingdom.
On the Red Sea coast, the Saudi Areabian Government has earmarked sites for development in Tabuk, Yanbu, Makah, Asir and Jizan provinces.
SCTA officials said that the planned resorts would being a total of 557,000 hotel rooms online, creating 413,000 jobs in the process.
The Saudi Government expects that the Red Sea projects will attract $40 billion in investment, with annual tourist spending estimated at $2.6 billion.
Saudi Arabia's tourism revenues could reach $64 billion by 2019, according to SCTA officials.
The Kingdom's tourism market is currently generating around $14 billion in annual revenues.
About the author
Nigel Benton
Co-founder/Publisher, Australasian Leisure Management
Nigel Benton is the co-founder and Publisher of Australasian Leisure Management, Australia and New Zealand’s only magazine for professionals in all areas of the leisure industry. Having established the magazine in 1997, shortly after his relocation to Australia, he has managed its readership rising to over 11,500 and its acceptance as the industry journal for professionals in aquatics, attractions, entertainment, events, fitness, parks, recreation, sport, tourism and venues.
In 2020, he launched the new Asian Leisure Business website.
Among a range of published works and features, his comments on a Blog (blogspot) from 2007 to 2011, when this website went live in its current form, may be interesting to reflect back on.
Click here to connect with him via LinkedIn.
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