Saudi Arabia Tourism News
Egis upgrades airfield facilities at Riyadh Airport as tourism grows
The King Khaled International Airport in Saudi Arabia is currently undergoing a large development and expansion programme that aims at increasing capacity in a near future. This programme is indeed necessary to allow the airport to accommodate the rapidly growing air traffic.
Prince Sultan bin Salman to lead Saudi delegation to GCC tourism summit
Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities president Prince Sultan bin Salman will lead the Kingdom’s delegation to the first constituent meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council tourism ministers to be held in Kuwait. An SCTA official said earlier that the first meeting of the ministers of tourism from GCC countries will discuss a number of key issues related to promoting tourism and heritage programs in the Gulf region.
World Travel Market set to welcome Saudi Arabia for first time
World Travel Market is set to welcome representation from Saudi Arabia to the exhibition floor for the first time this year, as the Saudi government unveils plans to invest heavily into its tourism industry over the next decade. Representation from The Saudi Commission for Tourism & Antiquities, along with the country’s national airline Saudi Airlines and flynas will all be exhibiting at WTM in London from the November 3rd– 6th 2014.
AHIC 2014: HRH Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz receives Leadership Award
The Arabian Hotel Investment Conference has will be presented 2014 Leadership Award to HRH Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, president and chairman of the Board of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities. The title comes in recognition of his vibrant role in developing the hospitality sector in Saudi Arabia.
Qatar Airways flies into Al Hofuf to boost Saudi flights
Qatar Airways is adding Al Hofuf in Saudi Arabia to its ever-increasing list of destinations. And as a further demonstration of its commitment to expanding its regional footprint, Qatar Airways recently increased the frequencies of two of its other destinations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
flynas brings low-cost Saudi flights to Manchester
flynas, a low-cost carrier out of Saudi Arabia, has announced the launch of non-stop flights from Jeddah to Manchester Airport from May 2nd 2014. The move is part of its ambitious Global Flight Routes program. The flights will operate three times a week, offering easy access to Britain’s north.
Hilton boosts presence in Saudi Arabia with Al Ahsa deal
Hilton Worldwide is set to add the city of Al Ahsa to its Saudi Arabia portfolio, following a signing agreement with Al Jazeera Group, owned by H.E. Sheikh Dr. Jassim bin Nasser bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani. The 180-room Hilton Al Ahsa, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is expected to open in 2016 and will be strategically located in the downtown area of Al Ahsa in an upcoming district surrounded by a growing number of residential, retail and commercial developments.
Saudi tourism poised for robust growth
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is expecting its tourism industry to achieve robust growth as a result of the active support of government in the development of 34,800 new hotel rooms in next five years. The government has made huge investments to develop the sector in order to boost both religious and cultural tourism in the country.
Carlson Rezidor to bring two new properties to Saudi Arabia
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group has announced two new hotels in Saudi Arabia. The Park Inn by Radisson Riyadh Olaya will open in the first quarter of 2014, while the Radisson Blu Resort Jizan will welcome the first guests in the first three months of 2015.
Saudi Arabia capitalises on booming mobile market
The online travel industry in Saudi Arabia is developing at a rapid rate with online bookings expected to exceed $1.9bn in 2014, according to Travelport co-sponsored research. According to the study – carried out by global travel market research company PhoCusWright – web sales in Saudi Arabia are forecasted to nearly double since 2011, when the online travel sector was valued at $1bn.
Swiss-Belhotel signs Saudi property
Swiss-Belhotel International, one of Asia’s leading mid-scale hotel operators, has added a new Saudi hotel project to its growing Middle East portfolio with the official signing of a 126-room hotel in Riyadh’s new financial district. Sheikh Abdallah Al Jumaiah and Khaled Al Jumaiah, president and vice president respectively of owning company, the Al Jumaiah Group, Gavin Faull, chairman and president and Ghassan Aridi, chief executive, Alpha Tours signed the management agreement.
Religious tourism drives Saudi industry skyward
A rise in the number of pilgrims visiting the Kingdom for Hajj and Umrah, are boosting domestic tourism growth, with Saudi residents making 22.5 million overnight trips per annum. Tourism receipts for Hajj and Umrah currently account for around three per cent of GDP and, according to tourism officials, the country gained a reported US$16.5 billion from tourism in 2012, representing a ten per cent increase on the previous year.