WTO: Saudi Arabia tops Arab countries for most tourists in 2022
October 7, 2022, 1:06 pm

WTO: Saudi Arabia tops Arab countries for most tourists in 2022

Saudi Arabia aims for 70 million tourism visits this year (Photo: Pixabay)

According to new figures released by the World Tourism Organization, Saudi Arabia has topped the list of Arab countries for tourism arrivals so far in 2022.

Statistics showed that more than 18 million tourists have visited the Kingdom so far this year.

The al-Arabiya reported, that it makes Saudi Arabia the most visited country in the Arab world in 2022, with the United Arab Emirates (14.8 million tourists) and Morocco (11 million tourists) rounding out the top three.

Syria came fourth with 8.5 million tourists, with Tunisia (5.7 million tourists), Egypt (5.2 million), Bahrain (4.3 million), Jordan (3.5 million), Qatar (2.9 million), and Oman (2.3 million) rounding out the top ten.

This was followed by Algeria (2 million), Lebanon (1.6 million), Iraq (1.5 million), Yemen (1 million), Sudan (800,000) and Palestine (400,000)

According to the statistics, Kuwait came at the bottom of the list with 203,000 tourists.

Saudi Arabia has topped the list of Arab countries for tourism arrivals so far in 2022 (Pixabay)

Tourism is one of the most important pillars of Saudi Arabia’s ambitious Vision 2030, with the Kingdom aiming to raise the number of annual tourist visits to 100 million visitors by 2030.

In August, Saudi Arabia’s cabinet approved a new law to boost the competitiveness of the tourism sector.

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Tourism Minister Ahmad al-Khateeb said at the time that the newly approved law comes in the line with the leadership’s orders to build a competitive tourism sector and contribute to the goals of Vision 2030.

As per the law, businesses will be given special licenses and support from the ministry, which will streamline licensing procedures by creating a one-stop-shop platform for all tourism stakeholders.

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It aims to speed up achieving the goals of the National Tourism Strategy– plans that aim to boost the contribution of the tourism sector in the GDP to 10 percent and create 1 million new jobs in the tourism sector.

A high-profile feature of the tourism push is giga-projects spearheaded by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, including the $500 billion futuristic megacity NEOM and Diriyah, the seat of the first Saudi state which is being redeveloped as a heritage and entertainment destination.

Source: alarabiya

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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.”