With the onset of a two-week spring break, Eastern Province is seeing an increased number of visitors. Most of the Saudi families from Riyadh head to Dammam, Dhahran and Alkhobar to spend quality time at the beautiful and pristine beaches in the region.
“Dhahran has been given a new look …. Green parks and flowering plants are everywhere … We want to receive visitors in style,” said Dhahran Mayor Saleh Muhammad Al-Qarni.
“We have planted colorful plants and arranged flowers at key tourist sites … And we have stepped up cleaning and maintenance work … the famous Half-Moon Bay area has been given a new look,” he said.
“There are 34 green parks in Dhahran; all of them have been spruced up … All possible entertainment facilities have been arranged for children,” said Al-Qarni.
Meanwhile, a Saudi expert on tourism predicted that the number of Saudi tourists in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) would reach 750,000 during spring (mid-term) break next week.
Nasir Al-Tayyar, head of the tourism committee at the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) and president of Al-Tayyar Group, said Saudis are expected to spend roughly SR7 billion within one week.
He said there would be 25 flights every day to the UAE, plus additional flights to meet increasing demands for Dubai. There is also a large demand for Doha, Qatar and Kuwait, where the number of Saudi visitors is expected to hit 50,000 per country.
For in-bound tourism, Al-Tayyar said there is a big turnout for the western region. Occupancy rates and airline bookings to Makkah, Madinah and Jeddah are up 100 percent.