saudi arabia tourism statistics 2022

International tourism, number of arrivals - Saudi Arabia

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Tourism spending in Saudi Arabia soars to $7.2bn in first half as visitor numbers surge

Number of inbound visitors up 575 per cent annually in second quarter, ministry of investment figures show.

Visitors in AlUla, in north-western Saudi Arabia. The tourism ministry is targeting to attract 100 million tourists a year by 2030. Bloomberg

Spending by international tourists in Saudi Arabia soared to 27 billion riyals ($7.2 billion) in the first six months of 2022 as visitor numbers surged to 46 million, Ministry of Investment figures show.

The number of inbound tourists to Saudi Arabia in the second quarter of 2022 increased annually by 575.4 per cent to 3.6 million, while domestic tourists rose by 42.3 per cent to 21.4 million, the ministry said in latest monthly bulletin.

Inbound tourist spending soared by 570 per cent in the second quarter to 15.7 billion riyals and domestic tourist spending rose by 31.5 per cent in the same period to 22.7 billion riyals, the report said.

“Tourism is one of the most promising sectors in Saudi Arabia, which will contribute to achieving economic diversification ,” the ministry said.

“The tourism sector’s targets according to Vision 2030 include attracting 100 million tourists a year, creating 1.6 million jobs and increasing the industry’s contribution to gross domestic product to more than 10 per cent.”

Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest oil exporter, is rapidly transforming its economy as it aims to reduce its dependence on oil, nurture domestic industries, boost jobs and diversify revenue.

The kingdom is developing a number of tourism projects, including Neom, a $500 billion futuristic city featuring a nature reserve, coral reefs and heritage sites on several islands along the Red Sea, and Qiddiya, a huge entertainment and sports project in Riyadh.

Tourism is a central plank of the country’s diversification drive. It will be a main non-oil growth driver, providing investment opportunities for private local and international investors as Saudi Arabia aims to attract 100 million visitors per year by 2030, S&P Global Ratings said in a recent report.

Average spending by an international overnight visitor per trip touched 4,380 riyals in the first half of 2022 compared with 4,194 riyals in the corresponding period last year, according to ministry estimates.

Saudi mega projects — in pictures

Sharaan Nature Reserve near the town of AlUla in north-western Saudi Arabia. AFP

Meanwhile, average spending by a domestic overnight visitor per trip was 1,114 riyals in the first six months of 2022 compared with 1,198 riyals in the same time last year.

Some of the major achievements of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Tourism this year include the adoption of the tourism law in August , launching a unified platform for tourism and unveiling a digital tourism strategy in the kingdom, according to the report.

The country issued 1.3 million tourist visas between 2019 and October 2022.

The kingdom has also supported more than 235 investors in tourism projects worth 6 billion riyals through the Tourism Development Fund, the report said.

Saudi Arabia 's economy is forecast to grow 7.6 per cent this year, after expanding 3.2 per cent last year, according to the latest forecast by the International Monetary Fund.

The kingdom's economy grew by 8.8 per cent in the third quarter of 2022, from the same period a year ago, government data released on Sunday showed.

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Saudi Arabia Tourist Arrivals

Tourist arrivals in saudi arabia increased to 16.51 million in 2022 from 3.48 million in 2021. tourist arrivals in saudi arabia averaged 11.60 million from 1995 until 2022, reaching an all time high of 18.26 million in 2014 and a record low of 3.33 million in 1995. source: saudi central bank, tourist arrivals in saudi arabia is expected to reach 32.00 million by the end of 2024, according to trading economics global macro models and analysts expectations. in the long-term, the saudi arabia tourist arrivals is projected to trend around 50.00 million in 2025 and 75.00 million in 2026, according to our econometric models.,   markets,   gdp,   labour,   prices,   money,   trade,   government,   business,   consumer,   housing,   taxes,   energy,   climate.

Saudi Arabia aims for 70 million tourism visits this year

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Reporting by Yousef Saba Editing by Mark Heinrich

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Thomson Reuters

Yousef covers Middle East energy out of Dubai, paying close attention to Gulf state oil giants, their roles in the ambitious region's transformational plans and the shift to green energy. He previously covered Gulf financial and economic news, with a focus on the fast-growing capital markets there. He joined Reuters in 2018 in Cairo, where he covered Egypt and Sudan, including its uprising. He previously had stints at a local paper in Cairo and in D.C. as an intern at Politico during the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

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Spanish far-right party Vox held a mass rally in Madrid on Sunday ahead of the European election, touting the support of international allies including Argentinian President Javier Milei, the prime ministers of Italy and Hungary and rightwing leaders from France and Portugal.

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Saudi Arabia receives 62 mln visits in 2022: Tourism Authority

Saudi Arabia received 62 million tourist visits this year, divided into 29.5 million international and 32.5 million domestic visitations, respectively, recent data from the Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) showed.

The STA targets 55 million and 45 million international and domestic visitations, respectively by 2030.

Based on the 2022 key indicator, contribution to the Kingdom’s gross domestic product (GDP) reached 5.3%, with 836,000 new jobs created.

The tourism sector is a key pillar in realizing the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 to contribute to diversifying national economy, attracting investments, boosting income sources and creating jobs for nationals. This is attained through a system that comprises the Ministry of Tourism, Tourism Development Fund, and STA, the authority added.

• Saudi Vision 2030

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• Giga-projects

Affluent tourists around the globe on Saudi Arabia’s radar

• Focus on China, India and Europe
• $800bn investment over seven years
• Infrastructure to match 2030 goals

Saudi Arabia will invest more than $800 billion in its main giga-projects by the next decade as part of a tourism expansion strategy focused on affluent tourists in China, India and Europe. 

The kingdom’s tourism minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb, speaking at the Qatar Investment Forum, said: “We’re building and investing in major destinations like Neom , Red Sea , Qiddiya and Diriyah , with an announced investment of more than $800 billion in the next seven years.”

Saudi Arabia is also expanding infrastructure, including a new Riyadh airport for its airline Riyadh Air, due to open in 2030, further easing visa access and increasing direct flights from the world’s major cities, Al-Khateeb said. 

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“We want to focus on countries where the GDP per capita is higher than others and that are within six hours flight in a strategic geographic location,” he said. 

“China is a target, Europe is a target, the emerging middle class in India is a target for all of us. We have plans to attract these target markets for various reasons, to visit family and friends, perform religious duties or enjoy sports and leisure activities.” 

As part of its Vision 2030 transformation plan to diversify away from reliance on oil revenue Saudi Arabia wants to increase tourism’s share of GDP from 4.5 percent at present to 10 percent by 2030. Last year there were 27 million international visitors, almost half coming for religious reasons . 

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Saad bin Ali Al Kharji, chairman of Qatar Tourism, said Gulf countries were also stepping up efforts to attract tourists to Gulf-wide trips taking in different countries. 

Gulf Cooperation Council states – which also include Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain and the UAE – agreed last year to introduce a unified GCC tourist visa as the region targets $188 billion from the industry by the end of the decade. 

“We are promoting Qatar and Saudi in one campaign,” Al Kharj said, noting that the forum was promoting the Saudi destination of AlUla , site of the pre-Islamic Nabataean civilisation. 

“People can have a double experience in one region. This is taking us to the benefits of collaboration. At the end of this year we might see the unified GCC visa.” 

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Interview: Saudi Arabia expects 5 mln Chinese tourists by 2030, says tourism official

Source: Xinhua

Editor: huaxia

2024-05-06 16:53:15

by Martina Fuchs

ST. GALLEN, Switzerland, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Saudi Arabia aims to attract 5 million Chinese tourists by 2030, said Gloria Guevara, chief special advisor at the Saudi Ministry of Tourism.

"China is a very important country and source market for us. We would love to have 5 million Chinese, that is the target and for that we have multiple strategies as part of one plan that we're executing," Guevara told Xinhua at the 53rd St. Gallen Symposium.

The St. Gallen Symposium is a student-driven organization and platform for cross-generational dialogue and collaboration. This year's event, which ran from May 2 to 3 on the theme of "Confronting Scarcity," brought together more than 100 speakers, 500 student volunteers and 1,200 participants.

Part of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 is to receive 100 million domestic and international tourists by 2030, said Guevara, adding that "We accomplished that seven years earlier."

The Saudi Ministry of Tourism announced in February that the country had received 106.2 million domestic and international tourists in 2023, marking a 56 percent increase from 2019 and a 12 percent rise from 2022.

"The good news is the growth continues and now by 2030, we want that number to be 150 million," Guevara said.

Last August, the Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) said it intended to attract 4 million Chinese visitors annually by 2030.

"The STA under CEO Fahd Hamidaddin has been in China multiple times, we have offices there. We have a Saudi week where we receive 85,000 Chinese to come and learn a little bit about Saudi," said Guevara.

"There are now signs in Mandarin at the airport in Riyadh. We're training tour guides, we're working with hotel groups like Jinjiang, Radisson, and many others to customize the experiences so that we can have offerings they expect," said Guevara.

"We're working in multiple areas to attract more Chinese so they can enjoy the culture and of course the hospitality and the gastronomy that they love," she said.

Tourism also promotes cultural understanding and plays a vital role in building cultural bridges with China, said Guevara.

"The partnership between Saudi (Arabia) and China is very, very important and very strong. For us, tourism allows us to build those bridges, to create empathy and allows us to learn from each other, learn from different cultures," she said.

"China is a strategic partner for Saudi Arabia, we have a lot of businesses and government officials coming to Saudi," Guevara said.

In December 2022, China agreed to list Saudi Arabia as a destination for group travel, and expand cultural and people-to-people exchanges between the two sides. ■

19 of the most surprising statistics about tourism

I t’s World Tourism Day, a time – these days – for much pontificating about sustainability and the impact of travel upon the planet. Instead, we’re going to take a look at some of the more surprisingly facts about the tourism industry. It’s all perfect fodder for your next pub quiz. 

Aviation accounts for just 2 per cent of global carbon emissions

But first, a word on sustainability. Alongside giving up meat, taking fewer flights is usually billed as the best way for individuals to cut their carbon footprint, and with the recent “flight shaming” trend, it can feel like we’re being collectively bullied to stay on the ground. All of which might lead one to assume that aviation accounts for a considerable chunk of global emissions. The actual figure, therefore, may be smaller than you’d imagine. In 2022 aviation, when the industry reached 80 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, it accounted for just 2 per cent of global carbon emissions. 

By 2030, one in four tourists will be Chinese

A few years ago, the China Outbound Tourism Research Institute (COTRI) predicted that overseas trips by the country’s residents would increase from 145m a year to more than 400m by 2030. In other words, it would account for around a quarter of international tourism. The pandemic put the brakes on such staggering growth, but expect things to start picking up again – fast. 

Saudi Arabia wants to surpass France as a holiday destination

Speaking of 2030, that is the year when Saudi Arabia wants to start welcoming 100m annual visitors – more than the record 91.1m France, the world’s most visited country, welcomed in 2019. It’s all part of Vision 2030, the state’s grand plan to jettison its overreliance on oil. Central to that plan will be the launch of Riyadh Air, to take on the likes of Emirates, the construction of a vast new airport designed to accommodate up to 120m annual passengers, and the creation of two new coastal “cities” – Amaala and Neom – to lure sunseekers . 

France’s number two tourist town?

Paris is number one – naturellement. But number two isn’t Bordeaux, Nice or Marseille. It’s Lourdes, a town of 13,000 residents that manages to attract 6m visitors every year thanks to the apparitions of a peasant girl called Bernadette. It has 279 hotels to choose from, according to Booking.com – only the French capital has more.

Only 0.07 per cent of the world’s population have been to Antarctica

You get that rough figure if you divide the number of people who visit Antarctica each year (100,000) by the number of people born each year (140m). But even fewer have been to the least visited country on Earth, Tuvalu – just 0.0026% of us (or 3,700 people a year). 

More Britons visit the Canary Islands each year than Italy

Lying on a hot volcanic rock? It’s better than Rome, Florence, Venice, Tuscany, the Dolomites, the Cinque Terre and the Amalfi Coast rolled into one. That’s according to official figures which show that around 5m of us go to the Canaries each year, compared with the 4.1m who visit Italy.

The biggest hotel on Earth is not in Las Vegas

Twelve of the world’s 20 largest hotels, in terms of total rooms, are found in Sin City. But number one, the First World Hotel (which has a staggering 7,351 rooms), is somewhere rather more obscure. The Genting Highlands of Malaysia. It will soon lose the record, however. The US$3.5 billion Abraj Kudai in Mecca, under construction since 2015, will have 10,000 rooms.  

And Macau makes more money from gambling tourists than Las Vegas

Another win for Asia. Macau has earned a reputation as the “Monte Carlo of the Orient”. Chinese games – like Fan Tan , a version of roulette – traditionally dominated its casinos, but the last 20 years have seen a move to embrace the many western-style ways of parting the punter from their money – to the extent that, in 2007, Macao overtook the Las Vegas Strip on gambling revenues. 

Which is the most luxurious place on Earth?

What – or where – is the most luxurious place on earth? New York? Dubai? Abu Dhabi? Obviously, the answer depends on how you are defining “luxurious”. But if the key metric is “city with the greatest number of five-star hotels”, then the identity of the most gleaming metropolis may surprise you. It used to be London, but as of earlier this month, and the release of the 2023 edition of jet-set bible the Forbes Travel Guide , the place in focus is – again – Macau. Said chic dot on the map of the Far East now boasts 22 hotels in the uppermost bracket.

Inverness is more popular than Stratford-upon-Avon

With its Shakespeare connections, surely Stratford-upon-Avon welcomes more tourists than plucky little Inverness? Not so, according to VisitBritain. London is number one, by a mile (21.7m overnight visitors in 2019, the last “normal” year), followed by Edinburgh (2.2m), Manchester (1.6m) and Birmingham (1.1m). Stratford lags way down in 17th, with 271,000 arrivals, just below Inverness (which, we assume, is used by many as a launch pad for jaunts around the Highlands).

And Reading trumps Windsor

Both are in Berkshire, but only one can boast the largest inhabited castle on the planet, Britain’s branch of Legoland, and a picturesque riverside racecourse. Yet it is Reading that makes VisitBritain’s top 20 (237,000 visitors in 2019) at the expense of Windsor. 

The Maldives really needs your money

The value of tourism to the Maldivian economy is more than US$2bn – or 32.5 per cent of its GDP. Only one destination (hello again Macau) is more reliant on your money . Needless to say, the last few years have been a struggle. 

Tourists outnumber locals by 7,853 to 1 in the Vatican City

The Vatican City has just 764 permanent inhabitants, measures a titchy 0.2 square miles, and receives – according to some sources – 6m visitors a year. That’s 7,853 tourists per resident or 31.58m per square mile.  

Bangladesh is the world’s least touristy country

At the other end of the scale is Bangladesh. With a population of 169.8m but only 323,000 annual visitors, it welcomes just 0.002 tourists per resident per year, making it perhaps the least touristy country on Earth.

Iran has 25 World Heritage Sites

This won’t surprise anyone who has been there – it’s a fascinating place packed with history (though currently off-limits, according to the Foreign Office). But those who don’t know it well might raise an eyebrow to learn that it trumps the likes of Japan, the US and Greece when it comes to World Heritage Sites . 

Bicester Village is almost as popular as Buckingham Palace

Among Chinese visitors that is. Travellers from the world’s most populous country have some other curious destinations on their wishlist . Around 150,000 visit Trier every year, for example, making it the most sought-after German destination among Chinese globetrotters. Why? It is the birthplace of Karl Marx, of course. And Montargis, a small town south of Paris, is also inexplicably popular. That’s because hundreds of young Chinese scholars studied there in the early part of the 20th century, including many future stars of China’s Communist Party. 

English really is the global language

Thanks to a combination of empire, mass tourism and invasive Western culture, English really is the global language. According to David Crystal’s book English as a Global Language, at least half the population of 45 countries speak it. There are also just 13 countries where fewer than 10 per cent of the population speak English, including China, Colombia, Brazil and Russia. 

16 of the world’s 30 busiest airports are American

A combination of international travel slowdown and America’s ravenous appetite for flying meant that in 2022, 16 of the world’s 30 busiest airports (in terms of total passenger numbers) were on US soil. Number one, as it has been each year since 1998 (except for 2020, when it was temporarily unseated by Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport), was Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (93.7m passengers for 2022). 

Albania is already welcoming more tourists than in 2019

The pandemic saw tourism slump across the planet, but some countries have recovered far quicker than others. They include Turkey, the fourth most visited country in 2022 (50.5m overseas arrivals, a shade under its 2019 figure of 51.2m), the UAE (22.7m arrivals in 2022 vs 21.6m in 2019) and, perfect for budget sunshine, Albania (6.7m arrivals in 2022 vs 6.1m in 2019). 

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Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 Is Too Expensive For Tourists – And Everyone Knows It

Josh Corder , Skift

May 1st, 2024 at 9:31 AM EDT

Fancy a stay in the heart of Arabia? It'll cost you.

Josh Corder

Are Saudi Arabia’s new tourism offerings too pricey? That’s the sentiment on the ground at the Future Hospitality Summit (FHS) in Riyadh this week.

Between now and the end of the decade, 320,000 new hotel rooms are expected to open in Saudi Arabia. According to Knight Frank, 82% of those new rooms are in the luxury and upscale segments. And 66% of Saudi’s current 149,400 rooms are also upscale and luxury.

Saudi eventually wants 70 million international tourists to come visit. But it was only in 2019 that it opened for tourism at all. Saudi had 27 million international visitors in 2023 – many of them came for religious travel rather than stays at newly-developed leisure hubs.

‘Ego Projects Are Going Away’

Radisson’s regional vice president of development, Elie Milky said on a panel at the summit that “ego projects” by private investors are becoming less prevalent.

“Emotional and ego investments are going away. We need to be in line with the tourism strategy but we need to help it in not only promoting five-star categories,” Milky said. “It’s too risky for some investors to go into a place with a five-star hotel. It might be a nice idea for a five-star hotel, but you might not see return on investment.”

Many developments are being funded by Saudi’s Public Investment Fund (PIF). Chaired by the crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, PIF owns and develops tourism sites such as Neom, Diriyah Gate and The Red Sea – three leisure destinations with a swell of luxury facilities.

“Giga-projects” are being built solely with five-star hotels. Some of them are planning to cap visitation as well, making it even tougher to accommodate 70 million visitors.

The Red Sea is one such example: The Maldives-like project along the Saudi coastline is planning to open 50 luxury hotels. The plan is to open 16 hotels by 2025, and another 34 before 2030.

To date, every hotel announced there has been a luxury name.

Despite costing billions, The Red Sea is going to chip in one-seventieth towards achieving international tourism goals. The site will limit visits upon completion to protect the environment.

‘Mid-Markets Democratize Travel’

With luxury projects not moving the needle much in achieving visitor goals, hotel developers are hammering for more economical brands.

At another session at the summit this week, Wyndham’s regional MD, Panos Loupasis said: “Saudi will become exclusive. That’s a problem. If you want to attract people, and have them come again and again, visit more cities, it can’t be so exclusive. Three-star hotels are enablers for travelers. They democratize travel.”

“The market is not well-educated in mid-scale brands. There seems to be a strong focus on luxury in Saudi,” added Leva Hotels CEO JS Anand, a Dubai-based operator serving mid-scale.

“Not everybody will pay $2,000 a night,” he added.

The CEO of a privately-held hotel developer and owner had similar thoughts. “Mid-market hotels are the core accommodation in any city. A lot of people in the segment are just looking for glitz and glamor rather than a real investment strategy,” said Tashyid Urban Development CEO Falih Motasim Hajaj.

Following the publication of this article, a spokesperson from Saudi Tourism Authority sent a statement to Skift acknowledging the importance of luxury accommodation but also the range of mid-market choices in the country.

“Luxury hotels and products are a key part of what we are developing in Saudi, and we know that for some of our target audiences, both domestically and internationally, having luxury destination hotels is essential to their experience,” the spokesperson said. “However, our strategy and ambition are much bigger than that, as set out in our national tourism strategy. It is not just about luxury, it’s about building a year-round offering that caters for visitors across all tiers.”

Luxury First, Mid-market Second

Accor is one of the biggest players in growing Saudi’s tourism and hospitality infrastructure. The French operator wants an additional 45 properties with more than 9,800 rooms by 2030 in Saudi.

In the major locations like the giga-projects, these will be luxury hotels, according to Accor’s Group Deputy CEO and Premium, Midscale & Economy Division CEO, Jean-Jacques Morin.

“Luxury is in the big leisure projects – Neom, Red Sea, Diriyah and so on,” he said. “We are by far the largest operator in the holy cities as well… While in second-tier cities we have a strategy for premium, midscale and economy.”

Are There Any Mid-market Hotels Opening Up in Giga-projects?

There are a few mid-market hotels, but they mostly act as lodging for incoming consultants, contractors and architects. The Red Sea has Turtle Bay hotel to put up staff in, while Trojena – one part of the Neom project – has a Hampton by Hilton up and running.

Even this hotel is commanding high rates as the only hotel for business people to use in the area.

“In terms of today, converting mid-scale hotels will drive super-normal profits,” said Hilton’s Managing Director, Development, Middle East & North Africa, Amir Lababedi. “As much as we can, we will convert existing buildings. Trojena has no hotels that any contractor can use. That’s why we brought the Hampton.”

He added that Hilton is looking at many of Saudi’s existing budget hotels as options for its new Spark brand.

Elsewhere in Neom, Oxagon has a Yotel on the way, again designed mostly for professionals.

How Many Annual Visits Saudi Projects Expect by 2030 :

• The Red Sea: 1 million
• Amaala: 500,000
• Trojena (a part of Neom): 700,000
• Sindalah (a part of Neom): 876,000
• Neom altogether: 5 million
• Diriyah: 50 million (including domestic day trips)

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Tags: diriyah , middle east report , neom , saudi news , Saudi Tourism , The Red Sea

Photo credit: Riyadh

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• United Kingdom and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership Council: Economic and Social Pillar – Joint Statement
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The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and United Kingdom Strategic Partnership Council: Economic and Social Pillar Joint Statement (HTML)

Published 15 May 2024

© Crown copyright 2024

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Under the auspices of the GREAT Futures campaign, on 14th May 2024, within the framework of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom Strategic Partnership Council, the Minister of Commerce, H.E. Dr Majid Al-Kassabi, and the Deputy Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Mr Oliver Dowden MP held the fourth meeting of the Economic and Social Pillar in Riyadh. 

The two co-chairs reviewed the extensive progress that has been made in modernising and diversifying the bilateral relationship, to the benefit of both of our countries. They agreed an ambitious programme of new cooperation that will further enhance our mutual prosperity and leverage opportunities provided by Vision 2030. 

Trade: The co-chairs strongly welcomed record levels of trade exceeding £17.3 billion and agreed a target to increase bilateral trade to £30 billion by 2030. Both expressed their determination to conclude an ambitious and comprehensive Free Trade Agreement between the UK and the GCC. 

Investment: Both sides commended the strength of the two-way investment relationship noting $21bn of Saudi investment into the UK since 2017 and UK foreign direct investment stock into Saudi Arabia reaching $13 billion as of 2023. They welcomed the recent UK office openings of by PIF’s subsidiary company, as well as by NEOM and ELM, and noted over $3.5bn of Saudi investment into the northeast of England, while 52 UK companies are establishing regional headquarters in Riyadh. The two countries signed an agreement to expand cooperation in UK-Saudi investment. They welcomed UKEF’s support for the landmark US $700m Sharia compliant financing facility for development of Qiddiya’s Six Flags theme park. The UK reaffirms its commitment to drive investment into the Kingdom in areas aligned to Saudi Vision 2030. 

Energy and Climate: Both Kingdoms are committed to supporting the energy transitions and security through the bilateral partnership. They agreed to ongoing sectoral cooperation in traditional and renewable energy, petrochemicals, energy efficiency, green and clean hydrogen, Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage (CCUS), sustainable advanced materials, and look to develop further joint R&D and commercial partnerships in green technologies. 

Critical Minerals: Both sides reiterated the need for diversified and secure supplies of critical minerals, and the UK reaffirmed its support for and the participation of leading UK institutions in the Saudi’s Future Minerals Forum. They welcomed the London Metals Exchange announcement regarding its intention to list Jeddah as a new global metals warehouse location. 

Education: Since the year 2021, the two Kingdoms have celebrated the establishment of five independent British schools in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, the Kingdoms have reaffirmed their mutual objective to double the number of such institutions by the year 2025. The two Kingdoms have also welcomed the University of Strathclyde’s plans to become the first United Kingdom higher education institution to establish a physical presence within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in partnership with Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University. 

Additionally, it is noted that 14,000 Saudi students are currently pursuing their studies within the United Kingdom. The two Kingdoms have also commended the signing of a Cooperation Programme between the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation of Saudi Arabia and the Department for Business and Trade of the United Kingdom, with a focus on Technical and Vocational Education and Training. 

Furthermore, the Kingdoms have acknowledged the signing of a service contract between Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University and the University of Strathclyde, aimed at providing an executive Master of Business Administration programme. 

Innovation: The two sides agreed to develop their Research and Innovation partnership, focusing on ‘deep science’ and ‘deep tech’, notably genomics and space. They agreed to support startups by facilitating incubation and access to VC funding as well as coordination on the opportunities and challenges presented by AI, following the UK’s Global AI Safety Summit. 

Advanced Manufacturing: Both parties agreed to explore closer cooperation between private sector players in their efforts to increase the adoption of industry 4.0 technologies and enhance each country’s manufacturing capabilities. 

Healthcare: They reaffirmed their commitment to the healthcare partnership, underpinned by an agreement which has been expanded to contain new areas of collaboration, including, collaboration in digital transformation, antimicrobial resistance, and climate health. They also agreed to explore cooperation in biotechnology and preventative medicine. They welcomed the opening of the Priory Wellbeing Centre, the first international mental health clinic in Saudi Arabia with a commitment to establish four more centres, and King’s College opening a hospital in Jeddah as well as its plans to open a second hospital in Riyadh. 

Culture: The two Kingdoms continue to deepen their partnership on culture, implementing the UK-Saudi agreement to cooperate on heritage preservation, cultural events, art residency programs and knowledge exchange. They welcomed the Science Museum’s agreement with the Ministry of Culture to support cultural exchanges and develop capacity in the British and Saudi museum sectors. The Ministry of Culture also agreed to work in partnership with the UK National Archives to digitise the cultural records of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. 

Transport and Logistics Services: The two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation in transport and logistics services, especially in the fields of air services, railway transport and modern transport. 

Tourism and Visas: The introduction of the UK’s Electronic Travel Authorisation scheme and reciprocal moves by Saudi authorities reflect the desire to deepen people-people links, including increasing the number of business visitors, investors, and tourists both ways. They welcomed an agreement (joint statement of intent) between Visit Britain and the Saudi Tourism Authority, and agreed to enhance cooperation and exchange experiences in areas related to human capital development in the tourism sector, by organising training and development programs for 5,000 Saudi citizens, male and female, in institutes and training centres specialised in tourism in the United Kingdom until the end of 2026. 

Sport: They welcomed Loughborough University’s partnership with Leaders Development Institute and Newcastle University’s continued support for women in sport. 

Financial Services: Saudi Arabia reaffirmed that London remains a preferred choice as an international capital market hub. Saudi issuers have raised over £55.9 billion of capital in London since 2022, £11 billion of which was for green, social and sustainable finance. This includes landmark transactions such as PIF’s debut bond issuance – the first-ever green bond issuance by PIF and the first-ever 100-year Green Bond issuance. The two co-chairs agreed to continue the cooperation in the areas of dual-listings, banking, fintech, asset management, green finance and insurance. 

H.E Dr Majed Al-Kassabi and the Rt Hon Mr Oliver Dowden MP looked forward to continuing to pursue an ambitious, broad and deep programme of bilateral collaboration going forward.

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'Maldives what?': Saudi fashionistas attempt beach rebrand

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Saudi designer Tima Abid got her start at a time when fashion shows were taboo and tourism, apart from religious pilgrimages, was almost nonexistent in the Gulf kingdom.

So she was as surprised as anyone to see models draped in her latest couture collection gliding down an overwater boardwalk connecting beachfront villas that go for nearly $2,000 per night.

The sunset show on Thursday kicked off Saudi Arabia's first Red Sea Fashion Week, pitched by organisers as a milestone both for Saudi fashion and for a nascent tourism sector whose growth is key to diversifying the economy of the world's biggest crude oil exporter.

Abid's collection of two dozen "resort wear" dresses featured flowing white and beige fabrics and only the occasional visible midriff.

A second show on Friday was billed as the first to focus on women's swimwear, an envelope-pushing development in a conservative Muslim country that less than a decade ago required women to wear body-covering abaya robes.

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"You may say it is boldness, but I look at it in another way: keeping pace with globalism," Abid told AFP while surrounded by models and harried, headset-wearing show producers.

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"The borders and restrictions that used to exist have been abolished, and this has given us an opportunity to show our creativity in a more beautiful way."

The crowd on Thursday included designers, fashion journalists and Saudi celebrities like Lojain Omran, best known abroad for her turn on the money-drenched Netflix show "Dubai Bling".

The range of designs on display demonstrated Saudi Arabia's seriousness about competing not just with Dubai but other fashion capitals, Omran said.

"If you want to reach a global audience in fashion, you have to reach all types of people -- the conservatives, and those who are the opposite," she said.

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'Something very new'

The setting for Red Sea Fashion Week, the St Regis Red Sea Resort on Ummahat Alshaikh island off Saudi Arabia's west coast, is accessible only by chartered boat or seaplane.

It is part of Red Sea Global, one of the so-called giga-projects at the heart of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 social and economic reform programme overseen by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

As doubts grow about the feasibility of the most prominent giga-project -- a planned futuristic mega-city known as NEOM -- officials involved in Red Sea Global stress they are making progress, opening two resorts last year and preparing to launch 14 more hotels by the end of next year.

Since debuting a general tourism visa in 2019, formerly closed-off Saudi Arabia has tried to dispel the notion that it is one giant desert, showcasing mountains in the south and securing hosting rights for the Asian Winter Games in 2029 in a region of NEOM known as Trojena.

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Beach developments are seen as major potential attractions, and Red Sea Fashion Week was partly intended to highlight what is already in place, said Burak Cakmak, chief executive of the Saudi Fashion Commission.

"Obviously logistically we are trying something very new. We are on a remote island that takes half an hour by boat to get to... There are many limitations on being able to do shows here," he said.

"I would love everybody not (only) to explore Saudi designs, but also explore Saudi as a destination."

Taking in preparations for Abid's show, Saudi designer Alanoud Badr of Lady Fozaza compared the kingdom favourably to a more established island locale.

"It's just something you would never expect, and honestly all I can say is, Maldives what?"

Saudi Arabia is forging ahead with its fashion and tourism investments even as the war in Gaza drags down economic growth prospects for the wider region.

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In a recent interview with AFP, Saudi Tourism Minister Ahmed Al Khateeb said attacks on Red Sea shipping by Yemen's Huthi rebels -- intended to show solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza -- posed no threat to the new resorts.

Besides security fears, Saudi Arabia's tourism industry has to overcome continued criticism of the kingdom's human rights record, including repression of dissent under Prince Mohammed.

Those who flocked to the St Regis paid little mind to such issues.

Model Beatris Resende said that growing up in Brazil, she often thought of the Middle East as a single place that was not depicted very flatteringly.

Only through travelling and modelling in the region has she come to appreciate differences among countries.

"I'm going to be honest. I really want people to stop looking at countries as the stereotype and actually get to know the places," she said.

"It's so much more than what we hear.

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Source: AFP