Setting Saudi’s Tourism Sector Up for Future Success - The importance of public and private sector collaboration

Reports from the Ministry of Interior at the recent UK Saudi Sustainable Infrastructure Summit confirmed the Kingdom is ‘more than halfway through’ the delivery of Vision 2030, with news indicating that it is ‘ahead of schedule in all aspects of implementation.’

One such example of this progress is in the tourism sector; the original target to attract 100 million visitors by 2030 has already been achieved and now the ambitions have increased to attract 150 million visitors over the next six years. Clearly a job well done for Saudi in achieving this accolade ahead of its deadline.

Figures such as these underpin an optimistic outlook and Saudi seemingly has everything to play for. The tourism sector is indeed accelerating at pace and the announcement of major events like the Riyadh Expo 2030 and the bid to host the FIFA 2034 World Cup, are just some of the examples that underscore how seriously Saudi is taking its commitment to opening its doors to international visitors.

The crux of the work needing to be done to ready for international tourists coming from new markets, with varied backgrounds and en masse to such events, must be completed ahead of the events themselves.  Preparations will need to include, for example, transformations to the airport infrastructure, which will function as the ‘shop window’ as it were, working as the gateway and delivering a vital first impression to millions of people as they first enter the country. And with more and more tourists visiting Saudi (far exceeding initial estimates for this point in time), there is a greater need now, more than ever before, for the pace of infrastructure development to accelerate even faster to cater for the boom that lies ahead.

Whilst the pace of transformation in Saudi is evident to see, the news that the tourism boom is very much in motion, has upped the ante on the need for speed in developing Giga projects and tourism destinations in Saudi.

The good news is that these areas, whilst set to cater to a diverse set of tourists needs – be that sport, entertainment or cultural experiences, also have their own distinct contributions to make to the Kingdom’s economy and society. NEOM, promises to be a hub for innovation; the Red Sea Development project is expected to contribute significantly to the Kingdom's GDP, creating thousands of jobs, and positioning Saudi Arabia as a top-tier sustainable travel destination. Whilst the creation of King Salman Park highlights the 360-view that Saudi is taking towards its Vision 2030 progress, there needs to be a focus on creating green livable spaces that contribute to the overall happiness of those that both live in Saudi and of course those that pass through as visitors.

To accelerate progress, the collaboration between the public and private sectors is vital. The government’s commitment to forging these partnerships is evident enough through the substantial investments and regulatory reforms that are being implemented, which are designed to facilitate business operations. These collaborations are essential for injecting innovation, efficiency, and both global and local expertise into the tourism sector, ensuring that the developments are not only world-class but also sustainable and economically viable.

By working hand in hand, business has a major role to play in supporting the government to not only achieve their already ambitious tourism targets, but they can help the government set up Saudi for long-term future success on the tourism stage.