Al Khateeb says domestic tourism sets record in 2021 in Saudi Arabia

Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al Khateeb

Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Tourism, Ahmed Al Khateeb, said that the Kingdom’s domestic tourism is very strong and reached a record high in 2021 on improved service, existing offers and inability of citizens to travel.

At the Saudi Budget Forum 2022 held today, Dec. 13, he explained that the travel and accommodation sector was one of the most affected sectors due to the pandemic.

This created an opportunity to improve the legislative and financing environment and develop industry at home, he said, noting that legislation on accommodations has been enacted this year and will change the level of service to global standards.

The minister added that the priority in 2022 is to continue reforms and marketing campaigns in summer and winter and bringing back seasons with a full program.

He added that the sector has been made more attractive by raising the minimum salary and investing heavily in preparing human resources to work in the sector.

The minister also pointed out that the Tourism Development Fund funded 29 projects this year with a total investment of SAR 8 billion , indicating that these investments created 17,000 jobs for Saudi citizens.