Saudi looks to attract Indian tourists

Promoting Saudi Arabia as one of the leading tourist destinations — among the top 5 in the world by 2030 — is part of the Saudi government’s Vision 2030 strategic framework to reduce its dependence on oil, diversify its economy, and develop public service sectors such as health, education, infrastructure, recreation, and tourism.

The Saudi Tourism Authority (STA), set up in June 2020, has embarked on multiple roadshows in India and has signed with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) as the official partner of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Talking on the sidelines of an event hosted by STA to officially announce the partnership, Alhasan Aldabbagh, APAC president of the Saudi Tourism Authority, said in 2022, close to 1 million Indians visited the nation, out of which one-third came for leisure. “We have close to 3 million Indians living in Saudi, so a lot of tourists come to meet family and friends. Last year, we had 300,000 tourists coming for leisure, and we want to increase that number. As part of our Vision 2030, we want India to be the leading tourism source market for Saudi,” he said.

Through the partnership, they aim to increase Saudi’s appeal in the Indian and South Asian markets.