Umluj is home to more than 100 untouched islands. Saudi Arabia's tourism sector is expected to provide 260,000 jobs over the next three years. Photo: STA
Umluj is home to more than 100 untouched islands. Saudi Arabia's tourism sector is expected to provide 260,000 jobs over the next three years. Photo: STA
Umluj is home to more than 100 untouched islands. Saudi Arabia's tourism sector is expected to provide 260,000 jobs over the next three years. Photo: STA
Umluj is home to more than 100 untouched islands. Saudi Arabia's tourism sector is expected to provide 260,000 jobs over the next three years. Photo: STA

FII: Saudi Arabia plans to invest $1tn in tourism over 10 years


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Saudi Arabia plans to invest more than $1 trillion in the tourism sector over the next 10 years, said Ahmed Al Khateeb, the Minister of Tourism.

The world's largest oil exporter is also one of the biggest investors in tourism, which was hit hard by the travel restrictions during the Covid-19 pandemic, Mr Al Khateeb told a panel called the Future of Tourism at the fifth Future Investment Initiative on Tuesday.

"Tourism and travel were the most affected by the Covid-19 pandemic among the sectors of the global economy, but we are on the path to a return to recovery, which requires international co-operation to enhance the recovery phase," he said.

The kingdom believes that the recovery of the global economy depends on the recovery of the tourism sector, "so we need to work together to reactivate tourism according to effective principles of work, to achieve common goals", Mr Al Khateeb said.

Investment in the kingdom's tourism sector is one of the pillars of the Saudi Vision 2030 transformation initiative that seeks to diversify the economy and reduce its reliance on oil. Saudi Arabia aims to increase the contribution of the tourism sector to its economy to more than 10 per cent of gross domestic product by 2030 from about 3 per cent.

Under the Vision 2030 plan the kingdom seeks to attract 100 million local and international visitors annually by 2030, with the tourism sector generating an additional one million jobs, boosting total employment in the industry to 1.6 million jobs.

The tourism sector is expected to provide 260,000 jobs over the next three years, Mr Al Khateeb said.

The minister urged countries to work together at large, including governments and the private sector, developed and developing nations, "to strengthen tourism organisations and increase representation in forums like the G20", which Saudi Arabia hosted last year, to deliver "the future for tourism that we all want and need".

Arnold Donald, the chief executive of Carnival Corporation and Chairman of the World Travel and Tourism Council, said the tourism industry “needs the collaboration between governments and the private sector" to harmonise and provide "frictionless travel", as well as equal distribution of vaccinations around the world.

“First, we have to accept the vaccinations at different places to make it frictionless travel, and secondly, vaccine equity, so that means certain people can be vaccinated as was stated in the opening keynote,” he told the panel.

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  • Demonstrators responded to online petitions and flooded squares to block traffic
  • At its height there were almost 300,000 on the streets in support
  • Named after the high visibility jackets that drivers must keep in cars 
  • Clashes soon turned violent as thousands fought with police at cordons
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Amal likes watching Japanese animation movies and Manga - her favourite is The Ancient Magus Bride

She is the eldest of 11 children, and has four brothers and six sisters.

Her dream is to meet with all of her friends online from around the world who supported her work throughout the years

Her favourite meal is pizza and stuffed vine leaves

She ams to improve her English and learn Japanese, which many animated programmes originate in

Basquiat in Abu Dhabi

One of Basquiat’s paintings, the vibrant Cabra (1981–82), now hangs in Louvre Abu Dhabi temporarily, on loan from the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi. 

The latter museum is not open physically, but has assembled a collection and puts together a series of events called Talking Art, such as this discussion, moderated by writer Chaedria LaBouvier. 

It's something of a Basquiat season in Abu Dhabi at the moment. Last week, The Radiant Child, a documentary on Basquiat was shown at Manarat Al Saadiyat, and tonight (April 18) the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is throwing the re-creation of a party tonight, of the legendary Canal Zone party thrown in 1979, which epitomised the collaborative scene of the time. It was at Canal Zone that Basquiat met prominent members of the art world and moved from unknown graffiti artist into someone in the spotlight.  

“We’ve invited local resident arists, we’ll have spray cans at the ready,” says curator Maisa Al Qassemi of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi. 

Guggenheim Abu Dhabi's Canal Zone Remix is at Manarat Al Saadiyat, Thursday April 18, from 8pm. Free entry to all. Basquiat's Cabra is on view at Louvre Abu Dhabi until October

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Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million

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Bangladesh tour of Pakistan

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Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979

Education: UAE University, Al Ain

Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6

Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma

Favourite book: Science and geology

Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC

Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.

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Ahmed Saadawi
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Get Out

Director: Jordan Peele

Stars: Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Catherine Keener, Bradley Whitford

Four stars

Updated: October 27, 2021, 5:49 AM