Saudi Red Sea Project will open to visitors in 2023, showing other dimensions of the Kingdom
The Red Sea Project intends to open the conservative Kingdom to a new type of traveler, in contrast to the millions of pilgrims who visit Islam’s two holy cities of Mecca and Medina each year.
May 11, 2022, 9:02 am

Saudi Red Sea Project will open to visitors in 2023, showing other dimensions of the Kingdom

Al Qurayyah beach in Khobar, Saudi Arabia (Pixabay)

Marketing director of Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Project told Al Arabiya English that the project will take in its first visitors in early 2023. The announcement came on the sidelines of the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai on Tuesday (May 10).

Abdullah al-Zahrani said at the conference, the 28,000 square kilometer tourism megaproject will have a dedicated airport opening to travelers towards the end of 2023.

al-Zahrani said: It will allow visitors to “explore other dimensions of the country beyond the religious."

The Red Sea Project intends to open the conservative Kingdom to a new type of traveler, in contrast to the millions of pilgrims who visit Islam’s two holy cities of Mecca and Medina each year.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced the project in 2017 as part the wide-ranging Vision 2030 plan to diversify the country’s economy away from fossil fuels.

al-Zahrani said that even though the seaside resort will showcase the “sea, sand, and sun,” not often associated with the Kingdom, it will not take away from the cultural heritage of Saudi Arabia.

Lionel Messi arrives in Saudi Arabia after being unveiled as Kingdom’s new tourism ambassador

He continued: “Saudi Arabia is the heart of the Islamic world and it’s going to continue to be the heart of the Islamic world, the heart of the Arabic world as well."

By the end of 2024, the multi-faceted destination will comprise of 3,000 rooms across 16 separate resorts – two inland and 14 on the coast.

When the second phase of construction finishes in 2030, there will be 8,000 rooms in 22 different resorts.

Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah Season visitors exceed 200,000 in first three days

al-Zahrani said: “We are introducing quality destinations that are going to shift and change the mindset and the lifestyle of people visiting destinations and exploring a new area."

Saudi Arabia has made strides in recent years to attract tourists to a country that was traditionally closed off to outsiders.

These include the introduction of a tourist e-visa in 2019, which allows travelers to stay in the country for up to 90 days after filling in a form and paying a fee of $128 (480 riyals).

Saudi official: The kingdom aims for 70 million tourism visits this year

The report noted that the Red Sea Project was one of several tourist destinations announced by the Crown Prince including the NEOM megacity, and the Diriyah Gate development in Riyadh.

Source: alarabyiaenglish

Sri Lanka president warns of racial tensions amid economic crisis Reuters wins Pulitzer for intimate and devastating images of India's Covid pandemic

BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”