Saudi Arabia Targets 5 Million Chinese Tourists by 2030

Saudi Arabia aims to attract 5 million Chinese tourists by the year 2030, increasing the capacity of air travel by approximately 130%, and enhancing the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries in all fields. Ahmed Al-Khatib, Minister of Tourism and Chairman of the Saudi Tourism Authority, confirmed that all possibilities are in place to ensure an inspiring experience for tourists from China starting from July 1st of this year. Economic experts stated to "Al-Riyadh" that the tourism sector has achieved several benefits in the Kingdom, including an increase in the GDP, as the sector contributed directly 3.8% to the Kingdom's GDP in 2019. The Kingdom aims to raise the contribution of the tourism sector to 10% of GDP by 2030. Additionally, the sector provided around 571,000 jobs in 2019, accounting for about 5.1% of the total employment in the Kingdom, with a projected creation of 1.9 million jobs in the sector by 2030. Experts noted that the announcement of the Kingdom's recognition as an official tourist destination for tourists from China is one of the most significant indicators of the development and recovery of the tourism sector in the Kingdom in the coming years, given the expected large number of Chinese tourists visiting the Kingdom, amid the Kingdom's interest in this sector and the presence of various modern tourism projects.