Saudi Arabia to add 62,000 hotel rooms over next 4 years: Official

Ministry of Tourism

Princess Haifa Al Saud, Assistant Minister for Executive Affairs and Strategy, Ministry of Tourism, said 62,000 hotel rooms will be added over the next four years, Al Arabiya TV reported.

On the sidelines of the World Economic Forum held in Davos, the princess said the local tourism sector recovered from coronavirus pandemic and returned to pre-2019 levels, rising by 34% in terms of number of visitors and spending.

The Kingdom is currently focusing on local tourists, in addition to marketing the country as a new destination on the global tourism map.

The ministry is working to boost the sector's readiness, fulfill all needs of tourists, and overcome all difficulties they face.

“We listen to the tourist to understand such difficulties, which include high prices. We are working to address this issue by raising competitiveness and increasing the supply through the participation of the private sector,” the princess said.

She pointed to the financing of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), as they represent 80% of the tourism sector in the Kingdom, noting that these companies will boost the services provided in the sector.

Commenting on the employment of Saudis in the tourism sector, the princess said Saudis should be ready for employment in this promising new sector.

There are 33 programs to train Saudi men and women and provide them with job opportunities in the sector, she concluded.