Saudi Arabia’s tourism appeal grows in India after roadshow

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Indian visitors interact with representatives of Saudi Arabia's tourism industry at the South Asian Travel and Tourism Exchange in Noida, in the Indian capital region, on Feb. 11, 2023. (AN Photo)
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A poster advertises Saudi Arabia's pavilion at the South Asian Travel and Tourism Exchange in Noida, in the Indian capital region, on Feb. 11, 2023. (AN Photo)
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Saudi Arabia's pavilion at the South Asian Travel and Tourism Exchange in Noida, in the Indian capital region, is seen on Feb. 11, 2023. (AN Photo)
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Updated 12 February 2023
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Saudi Arabia’s tourism appeal grows in India after roadshow

  • Saudi Tourism Authority organizes series of promotions in India to draw more visitors
  • Indians say Kingdom is becoming increasingly attractive to all kinds of tourists

NEW DELHI: A successful India roadshow organized by the Saudi Tourism Authority has boosted the Kingdom’s appeal in the country, with travel industry leaders forecasting it could soon compete with Dubai as a preferred destination for visitors.

Since the beginning of February, the STA has been taking part in a series of travel and trade events across India, including the One World Travel Market in Mumbai and the South Asian Travel and Tourism Exchange, which ran from Thursday to Saturday in Noida, in the Indian capital region.
At the SATTE, Asia’s leading platform for the tourism and hospitality industry, the STA established a huge pavilion promoting not only the traditional religious tourism destinations such as Makkah and Madinah, but also the Kingdom’s ancient sites and futuristic projects.
The promotion strategy immediately appealed to Indian visitors.




Indian visitors interact with representatives of Saudi Arabia's tourism industry at the South Asian Travel and Tourism Exchange in Noida, in the Indian capital region, on Feb. 11, 2023. (AN Photo)

“The marketing was so very well done — the posters, the flyers and signboards. Everywhere I could see ‘Visit Saudi Arabia.’ They are really doing good,” Sathiswaran Palanivel, a tourism professional from Chennai, told Arab News as he visited the Saudi pavilion.
The message he got from the exhibition was one of expansion, not only of the tourism industry in the Kingdom, but also of the visitor target — from religious tourists visiting the holy Muslim sites of Makkah and Madinah to a general audience seeking to explore historical places and nature.
“They are raising the client audience perfectly. The natural sites and places like AlUla can bring in more customers, all kinds of visitors,” Palanivel said.
“It’s a country for everyone, that’s what I felt, that’s what I’ve seen.”
Diksha Singh, a public relations professional from New Delhi, also observed the change in Saudi Arabia’s tourism strategy and the increasing appeal it has to all Indians, not only Muslims.
“The spiritual image was one large part of Indians traveling to Saudi, but now the preference has also changed. Many corporates or executives like to make their meetings in Saudi and they also like to travel there just for leisure, with their families,” she said.
“Saudi Arabia has been picking up as a great destination to travel for Indians. With the kind of publicity Saudis have been doing lately, many Indians want to visit Saudi Arabia.”
The appeal is also in the newness of many Saudi locations that have only recently opened for travelers. Many more are going to emerge in the coming years. Besides World Heritage sites such as AlUla, huge tourism development works are underway in the mountains of the southwestern Asir region and along the Red Sea coast, where visitors can experience not only luxury but also technological innovations that make tourism sustainable and environmentally friendly.




Saudi Arabia's pavilion at the South Asian Travel and Tourism Exchange in Noida, in the Indian capital region, is seen on Feb. 11, 2023. (AN Photo)

Abhishek Sharma, a tour operator who traveled over 200 km from Agra to take part in the exhibition, said that he wanted to explore new destinations that could cater to the Indian market.
“We already see that a lot of people have visited Europe, they have visited Thailand, they have visited Sri Lanka. Now they want to explore new places. Those people who have seen the world, they want to see the Saudi also, what type of culture they have,” he said.
“And the Saudis are bringing in some new destinations for them.”
Some Indian industry players, who have been observing the changes Saudi Arabia has undergone under Vision 2030, forecast that in the near future, tourism sites in the Kingdom may become more appealing to Indians than those in Dubai — their current favorite destination in the Middle East.
“The way Saudi Arabia is opening the economy and promoting tourism, it’s pretty clear that it can exceed anyone in the Gulf. Definitely,” said Nihal Mirza, a travel operator from New Delhi.
“They are doing a good job over here. This could be a better decision for tourism, better than Dubai. That’s very possible.”  
For Hotelier Vijendra Manocha, Saudi Arabia’s offerings are more diverse and appealing to a wider audience than what tourists may experience in Dubai.
“They are promoting islands where you can explore the local life of Saudi Arabia. You are not getting that in Dubai,” he told Arab News.
“In Dubai you get luxurious life, in Saudi Arabia you get culture also.”


Red Wave-7 naval drill kicks off in Saudi Arabia

Updated 10 sec ago
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Red Wave-7 naval drill kicks off in Saudi Arabia

RIYADH: The Red Wave-7 naval exercise has started at King Faisal Naval Base, home of the Western Fleet.

As well as the Royal Saudi Naval Forces, taking part are countries including Jordan, Egypt, Djibouti, and Yemen, along with the Royal Saudi Land Forces, the Royal Saudi Air Force, and units of the Saudi Border Guard.

The commander of the Western Fleet, Rear Admiral Mansour bin Saud Al-Juaid, said the drill aimed to enhance maritime security for countries bordering the Red Sea and protect territorial waters, according to Saudi Press Agency.

The drill includes a number of scenarios featuring exercises that offer significant training opportunities. There will be strategic lectures and simulated combat exercises designed to reflect potential real-world situations.

It will promote joint and combined operations, such as surface and air warfare, electronic warfare, and countering speedboat attacks. The forces will also conduct maritime security exercises, including protecting shipping lines and combating smuggling, terrorism, piracy and illegal immigration.

Al-Juaid said naval ships, helicopters, fast response boats, naval infantry, maritime special security forces and various types of combat aircraft would all be deployed over the duration of the drill.


Hareed Festival: A window into the heart of the Farasan Islands

Updated 06 May 2024
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Hareed Festival: A window into the heart of the Farasan Islands

  • Annual event highlights tourism potential

Riyadh: The Farasan Islands, a string of coral islands nestled 40 km off the coast of Jazan in the Red Sea, have been abuzz with activity recently as they hosted the 20th Hareed Festival.

This vibrant annual event celebrates the arrival of parrotfish, also called hareed, in the islands’ shallow waters, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday.

The islanders have cherished this event for generations, transforming it into a social gathering that goes well beyond the arrival of the fish.

Visitors to the festival got a glimpse of the islands’ rich cultural heritage as it showcased the area’s unique customs, traditions, folk games, and handicrafts. It also focused its spotlight on Farasan’s remarkable tourism potential and historic sites.

Al-Dana provides one of the highlights. It is a captivating form of vocal art that is one of Farasan’s oldest folk traditions. It forms a poignant expression of longing, a result of the hardships endured by sailors on extended pearl-diving expeditions. The challenges faced by these brave men fueled the art form, which is deeply rooted in Farasan’s cultural identity.

The annual festival also gives an opportunity for Farasan residents to display their traditional handicrafts. Visitors can watch the making of fishing traps and nets, the intricate weaving of palm fronds, the creation of bags and rugs, and hat knitting.

A designated area at the hareed fishing site catered to families and children. Visitors could experience the thrill of catching parrotfish using a traditional method that involved setting up barriers to prevent the fish from escaping. This competition, a centuries-old tradition, allowed families to connect with the region’s fishing heritage.

Farasan’s most renowned tourist attractions highlighted the islands’ potential for tourism.

Al-Qassar village, which is located only 5 km from Farasan Grand Island, is a popular tourist site. This heritage village, which is built of stone and palm leaves, is home to the archipelago’s largest palm oasis.

Al-Qassar has served as a summer retreat for Farasan residents. People travel by camel to spend a three-month break in the village during the season of Al-Asef, the northwestern summer wind that comes after the hareed fishing season.

Famous for its abundance of fresh groundwater, Al-Qassar village comprises around 400 houses. These unique dwellings, with stone walls and roofs made of palm tree planks, leaves, doum palm, or anisotes trisulcus branches, topped with algae and mud, are made by traditional building techniques designed to withstand the elements.

The Hareed Festival is a window into the heart and soul of the inhabitants of the Farasan Islands; a celebration of culture, tradition, and the islands’ natural beauty.


Saudi Border Guard arrest 4 attempting to smuggle qat

Updated 06 May 2024
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Saudi Border Guard arrest 4 attempting to smuggle qat

JAZAN: The Kingdom’s Border Guard in Al-Ardah, Jazan, recently arrested four Yemeni nationals attempting to smuggle 80 kg of qat into the country, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.

Mostly chewed by users, Qat is a mild stimulant and illegal across most of the Arab world.

The government has urged citizens and residents to report any information they have regarding drug smuggling or sales to the General Directorate of Narcotics Control. Reports can be made by calling 911 for Makkah, Riyadh and the Eastern Province, and 999 for other regions. Alternatively, information can be emailed to [email protected]. All reports are treated confidentially.


KSrelief distributes food in Pakistan, drills solar-powered wells in Nigeria

Updated 06 May 2024
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KSrelief distributes food in Pakistan, drills solar-powered wells in Nigeria

DUBAI: KSrelief, Saudi Arabia’s aid agency, recently distributed 370 food baskets in the flood-hit Shangla district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan, benefiting 2,590 individuals.

The aid was a part of the fourth phase of the Kingdom’s Food Security Support Project in Pakistan 2024.

Last week, KSrelief, in collaboration with a civil society organization, initiated a project to drill six solar-powered medium-depth water wells in Kwara State, Nigeria. The wells, each at a depth of about 80 meters and equipped with tanks holding 5,000 liters, are for the benefit of 30,000 individuals.

The beneficiaries lauded Saudi Arabia for addressing their vital water needs.


Saudi anti-corruption authority reveals details of recent cases

Updated 06 May 2024
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Saudi anti-corruption authority reveals details of recent cases

  • Spokesman said legal procedures had been initiated against all perpetrators

RIYADH: A spokesman for Saudi Arabia’s Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority, also known as Nazaha, revealed on Sunday details of a number of criminal cases it recently investigated and prosecuted.

Outlining 20 of the most prominent corruption cases, he said legal procedures had been initiated against all perpetrators.

In one case, two Central Bank employees were arrested for receiving sums of money from a resident, who was also arrested, in exchange for depositing more than SR7.3 million ($1.95 million), without verifying the source, into bank accounts belonging to commercial entities over a two-year period.

In another case, a security officer working at the General Department of Traffic was arrested for receiving SR387,000 from the owner of a public services office, who was also arrested, in exchange for illegally amending the essential data of a group of vehicles.

One of the cases also highlighted involved an employee working at a university hospital who was arrested for receiving SR100,000 from citizens in exchange for a promise to employ them at the university.

Nazaha said it continues to work to identify and prosecute anyone in the Kingdom involved in the embezzlement of public funds, guilty of abuse of power and position for personal gain, or otherwise harming the public interest.

It stressed that guilty parties will be pursued and held accountable, and that there is no statute of limitations on such crimes.