To what extent can pilgrims coming to the Kingdom for Hajj and Umrah be encouraged to combine leisure tourism with these religious events?
The Middle East Tourism
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Articles & Analysis | Stay for a while: New visa regulations give Umrah pilgrims the chance to extend their visit and explore the Kingdom from The Report: Saudi Arabia 2014
Good news came for pilgrims and the tourism industry in November 2013, when it was announced that a new visa allowing Umrah pilgrims to travel domestically after completing their religious rituals would be issued for the 2013/14 season, a move which is expected to be a boon to tourism and associated industries.
Articles & Analysis | Sustaining growth: Innovative strategies are being employed to improve offerings from The Report: Saudi Arabia 2014
Recognising the important role of tourism in achieving the wider goals of development in Saudi Arabia, including job creation and increased economic diversity, considerable efforts are being made to expand the industry. Under the leadership of Prince Sultan bin Salman, president of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA), there...
Articles & Analysis | Working together: Public-private partnerships are seen as the way to develop the industry from The Report: Saudi Arabia 2014
Of the SR100bn ($26.66bn) that the government’s tourism strategy estimates will be needed over a 10-year period to develop the industry, the state expects to cover about a third, with the remaining two-thirds to be provided by the private sector. Public-private partnerships (PPPs) are seen as the way to achieve this, and thus the government is...
Recognising the important role of tourism in achieving the wider goals of development in Saudi Arabia, including job creation and increased economic diversity, considerable efforts are being made to expand the industry. A new Umrah Plus visa allowing for longer stays after religious pilgrimages has been introduced and, in combination with a focus on expanding and rehabilitating heritage and...
Home to an estimated 15.9% of the world’s proven oil reserves, Saudi Arabia is the single largest economy in the Middle East and North Africa. According to the Ministry of Finance, real GDP grew by 3.8% to $746bn in 2013. While oil income is expected to continue to account for the majority of government revenues for the foreseeable future, the non-oil sector has expanded significantly in recent decades growing 9.3% in 2013.