At the crossroads of tradition and modernity, the Middle East has been reinventing itself in recent years to earn its place among the world's top tourist destinations. Finally opening up to tourism after decades of withdrawal, the region continues to unveil projects, each more ambitious than the last, to attract international tourists. A mosaic of destinations, each proudly bearing its own identity, the Middle East now combines age-old customs with innovation. The destination is capitalising on its rich cultural heritage while becoming the epicentre of futuristic projects.
Positioning itself on the international tourism scene
While the destination is not new, its opening to tourism is rather recent. The 21st century marks an important turning point in the history of these hitherto relatively confidential regions. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar now want to shine on the international tourism scene, and are making no secret of their ambitions in this area.
Saudi Arabia wants to become a first-class destination, with the aim of welcoming 100 million tourists, excluding pilgrims, by 2030. These grand ambitions are embodied in the Vision 2030 programme launched in 2016 by Mohammed Ben Salmane, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince and Deputy Prime Minister. The aim of this programme is to move the country away from its historical oil revenues by diversifying its economy, particularly through tourism. The Kingdom hopes that tourism will contribute around 10% of its GDP. To achieve this objective, the country has set up a Tourism Development Fund with a budget of 100 million dollars.
Furthermore, "France is a priority if we are to achieve our objectives", points out Hazim Alhamzi, President of European and American markets at the Saudi Tourism Authority. And while the target of 100 million tourists may seem ambitious, the Kingdom appears to be on the right track, with more than 18 million visitors welcomed during the first three quarters of 2022, according to the UNWTO. Tourist spending in Saudi Arabia also exploded last year, reaching $7.2 billion in the first half of 2022, according to figures published by the country's Ministry of Investment.
Saudi Arabia boasts a number of sites that are emerging from the shadows with a clear tourism policy. While Riyadh and Jeddah are the two main cities of the destination, where historic buildings, religious edifices and beaches rub shoulders, AlUla is a...
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