As the world begins to move away from its reliance on fossil fuels, Saudi Arabia is attempting to rapidly and wisely diversify itself away from its traditional oil-based economy to one in which a newly established tourism industry can be a significant driver of investment, employment, and economic sustainability. Largely centred around the kingdom’s 1,760 […]
DXB’s passenger numbers show strong bounce-back while tourism arrivals set a record
Dubai Airports, the operator of what is now the the busiest international airport in thew world according to figures from global travel data provider OAG, has reported that its outperformed its own 2019 passenger numbers in 2023. In total, Dubai International Airport (DXB) handled 86.9 million passengers last year, 600,000 more than it did in […]
Neom’s newest sub-project is vague on details but promises a modern approach to wellness
Saudi Arabia’s most famous and well-publicized new mega-project, Neom, has announced yet another new development to add to the growing list of at least 15 sub-projects, cities, and resorts that already comprise the new region along the the kingdom’s Gulf of Aqaba coast. Unlike past announcements of new projects within Neom, which were larger in […]
Egypt’s Tourism Arrivals Defy Expectations Despite Challenges and Setbacks
If there is one country in the world that embodies resilience in the face of adversity, it’s Egypt. Despite having been poised for a much-needed breakthrough in setting a tourist arrivals record multiple times over the past five years, one unexpected event after another has held the country back from achieving breakout growth in the […]
Qatar gets creative to prove critics wrong about its ability to host the World Cup
On December 02, 2010, FIFA announced that Qatar had been awarded the opportunity to host the 2022 World Cup, beating out the United States in the fourth and final round of voting by the organization’s 22-member executive committee. As the first World Cup event ever to be held in the Middle East, eyebrows began to […]
Diriyah: The Past and Future of Saudi Arabia
Anyone with even a basic knowledge of Middle Eastern history, geography, and culture knows of Saudi Arabia’s powerhouse capital city, Riyadh; its namesake royal family, the Al Sauds; and its predominant sect of Islam, Wahabism. However, not nearly as many have heard of the place that connects all three of these in a very historically […]
Marriott´s Odd Choice for W Hotel Cairo leaves major potential patron markets untapped
Since it´s acquisition of Starwood´s portfolio of hotels in 2015, Marriott International has significantly upped its game on the trendy luxury hotel scene. Previously known for a diverse collection of brands and properties ranging from plainly elegant to blandly corporate, Marriott merger with (aka aquisition of) Starwood landed it ownership and control of jetsetter brand […]
Saudi Arabia has 350,000 reasons to celebrate the success of its tourism decision
Saudi Arabia is experiencing a relative tourism boom in response to opening its borders to secular international visitors in September of 2019. A little more than three months later, the chairman of the the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage, Ahmed Al Khatib, said that the country had issued 350,000 tourist visas in Q4 […]
Neom: The Future of Mega Resorts or a Desert Mirage?
Flying cars. Robotic dinosaurs. Holographic educators. An artificial moon. These are just a few of the things that are being touted as elements of Neom, Saudi Arabia’s planned futuristic mega resort on the Red Sea. But is all of this Neom talk just well-financed hype designed to draw headlines, peak investors’ curiosity, and induce FOMO? […]
