Sunday, January 26, 2025
On the World Financial Discussion board (WEF) Annual Assembly, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Tourism, His Excellency Ahmed A. Al-Khateeb, emphasised the transformative energy of the journey and tourism sector in driving sustainable and diversified financial development.
Talking on high-level panels, Minister Al-Khateeb known as for elevated international consideration to the sector’s potential in catalyzing cross-border collaboration, innovation, and resilience.
Saudi Arabia’s tourism trade has seen unprecedented development, welcoming practically 30 million worldwide guests in 2024 and contributing 5% to the Kingdom’s GDP, in keeping with Saudi Imaginative and prescient 2030 studies.
This improvement is a part of the Kingdom’s technique to diversify its financial system past oil by making a world-class tourism ecosystem rooted in sustainability, international partnerships, and inclusivity.
Remodeling Tourism By means of Imaginative and prescient 2030
Minister Al-Khateeb’s participation in official WEF classes, similar to “Travel and Tourism’s Role in Building Trust” and “The Way We Will Travel,” underscored Saudi Arabia’s management in shaping the way forward for tourism.
On the Saudi Home occasion, he led discussions on “Scaling Sustainable Tourism: Connecting People and Places,” the place he highlighted the significance of balancing tourism development with social and environmental duty.
Aligned with Imaginative and prescient 2030, the Saudi Ministry of Tourism launched its “Hospitality Investor White Paper” through the WEF Annual Assembly. The initiative goals to draw over SAR 40 billion (USD 11 billion) in non-public investments, add SAR 16 billion (USD 4 billion) to the GDP, and create 1.6 million jobs by 2030.
This funding information is designed to encourage international stakeholders to align with the Kingdom’s formidable targets and undertake sustainable practices.
World Collaboration for a Resilient Future
In a 12 months when international tourism has totally rebounded to pre-pandemic ranges with 1.4 billion worldwide arrivals in 2024, Minister Al-Khateeb emphasised the sector’s crucial position in fostering financial resilience.
He famous that tourism isn’t just an trade however a transformative pressure able to assembly rising international demand whereas safeguarding environmental and cultural heritage.
Throughout the discussion board, Minister Al-Khateeb shared the stage with distinguished leaders, together with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, European Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas, Switzerland Tourism CEO Martin Nydegger, and Journey.com CEO Jane Solar.
Collectively, they echoed the necessity for elevated cross-sector collaboration to handle challenges and unlock new alternatives within the tourism sector.
A Blueprint for Sustainable Tourism
Minister Al-Khateeb contributed insights to the WEF briefing paper, “The Future of Travel and Tourism: Embracing Sustainable and Inclusive Growth,” highlighting the rising demand for sustainable journey.
He burdened the significance of making certain native communities globally profit from tourism-led financial development and known as for enhanced partnerships to create a extra inclusive international tourism ecosystem.
Saudi Arabia’s forward-thinking method to tourism positions it as a frontrunner in redefining the worldwide journey trade.
Because the WEF concluded, Minister Al-Khateeb bolstered the Kingdom’s ambition to determine itself as a worldwide hub for sustainable and modern tourism, contributing to a diversified and resilient international financial system.
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