LONDON: Palestine’s hotel room count is set to double by the end of the decade.
Elias Al-Arjah, who is chairman of the Arab Hotel Association and the owner of The Bethlehem Hotel, predicts that the number of hotel rooms in the country will rise from 6,000 to 10,000 by 2020.
Speaking on the sidelines of London’s World Travel Market, Al-Arjah told Arab News: “In Bethlehem in 1994, before the peace process, we had 800 rooms, now we have 4,000 rooms. We are growing faster than our neighbors, such as Tel Aviv and Amman.”
The Arab Hotel Association (AHA) — which represents 120 hotels throughout the West Bank and East Jerusalem — is tasked with promoting tourism to the region through events and marketing.
The AHA chairman said: “Most Palestinian tourism is religious, but there is about five percent of tourism which is cultural and historical.” Al-Arjah said that Palestine and Israel are “working together” to promote Jerusalem as a tourist site.
“When the tourists come, they come to see more than East Jerusalem, they want to see all of the holy sites. Business-wise, we are working together with Israel, even if there is very bad political conflict,” Al-Arjah said.
“Our area has been quiet and there has been no problems in the last three or four years — it has been a good situation. Thank God there is no conflict, so there are more tourists,” he said.
According to the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Palestine is the world’s fastest growing tourism destination. The country saw a 57.8 percent increase in international arrivals in the first half of this year, compared to the first half of 2016.
Earlier this year political artist Banksy — whose artworks sell for millions of dollars — opened his “Walled Off” hotel in Bethlehem. The hotel, which the artist described as having “the worst view of any hotel in the world,” exists both as a hotel and a museum space that explains the turbulent history of the region. Rooms start at $60 and go up to $965 for the presidential suite.
Palestine hotel room count ‘to double’
Palestine hotel room count ‘to double’
Mexico eyes trade expansion, targets Saudi market with premium rice exports
RIYADH: Mexico is preparing to expand its trade ties with Saudi Arabia by exporting high-quality rice to the Kingdom, sources told Asharq Al-Awsat.
They said Mexico has an export offer for three premium rice varieties that meet the highest international standards.
Saudi Arabia imports limited quantities of Mexican rice, mainly for use in Mexican cuisine and in restaurants.
The latest initiative reflects the Kingdom’s position as one of the world’s largest rice consumers, with per capita consumption averaging 45.77 kilograms annually, the highest among plant-based food products.
Around 70 percent of consumption consists of basmati rice, while total annual imports exceed 1.3 million tonnes.
According to information obtained by Asharq Al-Awsat, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs received a request from the Mexican Embassy in Riyadh conveying the interest of the Mexican state of Nayarit in exporting premium rice to the Saudi market.
The embassy said that three rice varieties are available for export, including Super Extra Whole Grain Rice, long grain, with a monthly supply of 120 tonnes; Milagro Super Extra Rice, polished broad grain, with a capacity of 30 tonnes per month; and Morelos rice, a premium-grade variety.
Saudi Arabia has previously taken steps to encourage private-sector imports of Cambodian rice in a move aimed at diversifying supply sources alongside imports from India, Pakistan, the US, and Egypt.
Strong demand for favored rice varieties in Saudi Arabia and across the Gulf, combined with challenges such as rising shipping costs and climate-related disruptions, has occasionally led to price fluctuations. These factors have prompted the Kingdom to broaden its supplier base to ensure the availability of this commodity and maintain price stability.
The government recently decided to increase Pakistani rice imports to account for 20 percent of total needs, reinforcing supply stability and food security.
Forecasts suggest that per capita rice consumption in Saudi Arabia could rise to around 50 kg annually in the coming years, up from the current 45.77 kg, underscoring rice’s central role in the Kingdom’s food industry and traditional cuisine.
