RIYADH: The hospitality industry in Saudi Arabia is gaining momentum as the government is focusing on tourism and Mice business, according to senior government officials.
“The Saudi government is going to launch an electronic gates system for investors and business travellers on November 8 and it will be a good facility for investors,” Tariq A Al Essa, executive manager, Saudi Exhibition and Convention Bureau (SECB), told Khaleej Times at Arabian Hotel and Investment Conference (Ahic).
Over 600 leading hospitality industry specialists, operators and investors from across the globe attended the two-day conference, which concluded on a positive note.
Addressing the conference session titled ‘The kingdom of tomorrow — Saudi Arabia is a hot spot for tourism infrastructure and hotel’, Al Essa said the government set up the SECB in 2013 to develop regulatory framework to address investors’ concern and promote meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (Mice) industry in the country.
“We have realised the importance of the Mice industry and the bureau has been specifically established to develop regulatory framework for event management licensing, availability of official data on Mice industry, visas and pricing issues,” he said.
“The e-gate system will streamline all aspects of tourism and Mice industry to make obtaining visas, hotel bookings, etc much easier. Similarly, a one-stop shop for businesses and investors is on the cards that will help to obtain all licences on fast-track basis,” he added.
He said Saudi Arabia is the biggest economy of the region and there is a huge potential to invest in under developed Mice industry in the country.
“Currently we have only one major convention centre in Riyadh, but we want to be one of the major Mice destinations by 2018. We will develop good infrastructure in Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and [the holy city of] Madinah, among others, to attract business travellers and investors,” Al Essa said, adding that only 220 trade events have been hosted in the country this year so far.
To a question, he said Saudi Arabia has many potentials away from the oil industry, for example the conferences and sports industries are growing very fast, and government is aware of the hospitality growing industry and improving required infrastructure and regulatory framework.
“Falling oil prices offer a good opportunity to diversify the country’s economy and explore untapped sectors like Mice, petrochemicals, water treatment and hospitality,” he said.
“We are also spending a lot of money on sports activities and this is another area of investment in the kingdom,” he said.
Abdullah S. Al Jehani, president advisor and supervisor for establishing the SECB, said tourism sector in Saudi Arabia has immense potential to grow in coming years due to new initiatives launched by the government.
“We welcome 15 million visitors annually and out of it 50 per cent people come for Haj and Umrah and the share of business travellers is nominal. There is annual four to five per cent growth in tourism, and we are confident of receiving 20 million visitors by 2020,” Al Jehani told Khaleej Times.
According to the latest data, tourism projects worth $11.6 billion are under way in Saudi Arabia as the country looks to build on domestic and religious tourism totalling an estimated $45.3 billion in 2014. Domestic tourism contributes approximately $18.7 billion annually while religious and other tourism activities add almost $27 billion.
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