The Red Sea Project is one of Saudi Arabia's biggest tourism projects. Courtesy The Red Sea Development Company
The Red Sea Project is one of Saudi Arabia's biggest tourism projects. Courtesy The Red Sea Development Company
The Red Sea Project is one of Saudi Arabia's biggest tourism projects. Courtesy The Red Sea Development Company
The Red Sea Project is one of Saudi Arabia's biggest tourism projects. Courtesy The Red Sea Development Company

Saudi Arabia's tourism fund signs deal with banks to finance up to $43bn worth of projects


Fareed Rahman
  • English
  • Arabic

Saudi Arabia's Tourism Development Fund signed an agreement with two of the country’s major lenders, Riyad Bank and Banque Saudi Fransi, to finance tourism projects worth up to 160 billion Saudi riyals ($43bn) in the kingdom.

As part of the deal, the fund and the banks will set up a mechanism to support the financing of tourism projects across the kingdom, according to the official Saudi Press Agency.

The new initiative “is part of the fund’s efforts to encourage and stimulate investments in the tourism sector and support the private sector, including the small and medium enterprises”, the statement on SPA said.

Saudi Arabia set up the fund with an initial investment of $4bn in June this year to boost the tourism sector and fund development at 38 sites across seven destinations by 2022.

Tourism is a key pillar of Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's ambitious reform strategy to reduce the economy's dependence on oil. The kingdom wants the sector to contribute 10 per cent of gross domestic product by 2030, up from about 3 per cent currently.

Saudi Arabia began issuing tourism visas in September 2019, but the coronavirus outbreak led to a temporary halt as the kingdom closed its borders to foreign visitors in March to contain the spread of the pandemic.

However, as new cases subside and movement restrictions ease worldwide, the kingdom is planning to re-open to leisure visitors and issue tourism visas by early 2021, the country’s tourism minister told Reuters earlier this week.

Hammad Al Balawi, general manager of tourism investment at the kingdom’s tourism ministry, said the tourism development fund is “one source of funding that could help and accelerate the growth” of projects in the country.

“We are truly committed that the sector would be developed by the private sector … 75 per cent of room keys from now until 2023 will be developed by the private sector,” he said at the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference on Tuesday.

“The kingdom opened its doors for travellers from all corners [of] the world ... 80 per cent of global travellers could be granted the visa in less than five minutes, both e-visa on the website or even visa on arrival and that sets the ambitious strategy for what we want to achieve.”

Saudi Arabia is aiming to attract 100 million visitors by 2030 and the tourism sector would provide jobs to 1.6 million people, Mr Al Balawi said.

“There is no better place to feel [the] Arabian experience than Saudi Arabia. It has wonderful sites and wonderful heritage. We welcome local and international investors to invest in the country and develop new projects.”

Meanwhile, the kingdom's travel services company Seera Group signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Tourism Development Fund to finance the development of more than 1,000 hotel rooms in cities including Riyadh, Jeddah, Al Baha, Abha, Taif, Al Ula and Hail.

"The massive investment stimulus will help build a robust tourism infrastructure that is crucial to driving the industry's long-term growth, and will also serve the cultural, entertainment and hospitality sectors – all important when it comes to promoting tourism, domestic and international," Abdullah Aldwood, chief executive of Seera Group told The National. 

"The agreement will allow the kingdom to finance tourism projects across the country as part of the government's efforts and Vision 2030 to accelerate and drive international tourism," Basel Talal, Radisson Hotel group's regional director for Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the Levant, said.
"We believe the fund will play a critical part in developing the visitors' experiences and unlocking the country's full potential as a destination."

Radisson is planning to open eight additional hotels in Saudi Arabia next year to grow its presence in the country, he added.

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

Plan to boost public schools

A major shake-up of government-run schools was rolled out across the country in 2017. Known as the Emirati School Model, it placed more emphasis on maths and science while also adding practical skills to the curriculum.

It was accompanied by the promise of a Dh5 billion investment, over six years, to pay for state-of-the-art infrastructure improvements.

Aspects of the school model will be extended to international private schools, the education minister has previously suggested.

Recent developments have also included the introduction of moral education - which public and private schools both must teach - along with reform of the exams system and tougher teacher licensing requirements.

Tips for SMEs to cope
  • Adapt your business model. Make changes that are future-proof to the new normal
  • Make sure you have an online presence
  • Open communication with suppliers, especially if they are international. Look for local suppliers to avoid delivery delays
  • Open communication with customers to see how they are coping and be flexible about extending terms, etc
    Courtesy: Craig Moore, founder and CEO of Beehive, which provides term finance and working capital finance to SMEs. Only SMEs that have been trading for two years are eligible for funding from Beehive.
RESULTS

Mumbai Indians 181-4 (20 ovs)
Kolkata Knight Riders 168-6 (20ovs)

Mumbai won by 13 runs

Rajasthan Royals 152-9 (20 ovs)
Kings XI Punjab 155-4 (18.4 ovs)

Kings XI Punjab won by 6 wickets

GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900

England v South Africa Test series:

First Test: at Lord's, England won by 211 runs

Second Test: at Trent Bridge, South Africa won by 340 runs

Third Test: at The Oval, July 27-31

Fourth Test: at Old Trafford, August 4-8

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The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo

Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm

Transmission: eight-speed auto

Price: from Dh122,745

On sale: now

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Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric

Range: Up to 610km

Power: 905hp

Torque: 985Nm

Price: From Dh439,000

Available: Now

Dubai Bling season three

Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed 

Rating: 1/5

F1 The Movie

Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
MATCH INFO

Jersey 147 (20 overs) 

UAE 112 (19.2 overs)

Jersey win by 35 runs

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ESSENTIALS

The flights

Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.

The hotels

Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.

The tours

A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages. 

RESULTS

Bantamweight:
Zia Mashwani (PAK) bt Chris Corton (PHI)

Super lightweight:
Flavio Serafin (BRA) bt Mohammad Al Khatib (JOR)

Super lightweight:
Dwight Brooks (USA) bt Alex Nacfur (BRA)

Bantamweight:
Tariq Ismail (CAN) bt Jalal Al Daaja (JOR)

Featherweight:
Abdullatip Magomedov (RUS) bt Sulaiman Al Modhyan (KUW)

Middleweight:
Mohammad Fakhreddine (LEB) bt Christofer Silva (BRA)

Middleweight:
Rustam Chsiev (RUS) bt Tarek Suleiman (SYR)

Welterweight:
Khamzat Chimaev (SWE) bt Mzwandile Hlongwa (RSA)

Lightweight:
Alex Martinez (CAN) bt Anas Siraj Mounir (MAR)

Welterweight:
Jarrah Al Selawi (JOR) bt Abdoul Abdouraguimov (FRA)

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Roll of honour 2019-2020

Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners: Dubai Hurricanes
Runners up: Bahrain

West Asia Premiership
Winners: Bahrain
Runners up: UAE Premiership

UAE Premiership
}Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes

UAE Division One
Winners: Abu Dhabi Saracens
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes II

UAE Division Two
Winners: Barrelhouse
Runners up: RAK Rugby

Tearful appearance

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday. 

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow. 

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

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THE SIXTH SENSE

Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment

Director: M. Night Shyamalan

Rating: 5/5

Ferrari 12Cilindri specs

Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12

Power: 819hp

Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm

Price: From Dh1,700,000

Available: Now

ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA

Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi

Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser

Rating: 4.5/5

The specs

Engine: 3.8-litre, twin-turbo V8

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Power: 582bhp

Torque: 730Nm

Price: Dh649,000

On sale: now  

2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups

Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.

Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.

Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.

Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).

Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.

Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.

Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.

Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.

Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989

Director: Goran Hugo Olsson

Rating: 5/5

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