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Saudi Red Sea Project will open to visitors in 2023, showing other dimensions of the Kingdom
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The Red Sea Project intends to open the conservative Kingdom to a new type of traveler, in contrast to the millions of pilgrims who visit Islam’s two holy cities of Mecca and Medina each year.
Marketing director of Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Project told Al Arabiya English that the project will take in its first visitors in early 2023. The announcement came on the sidelines of the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai on Tuesday (May 10).
Abdullah al-Zahrani said at the conference, the 28,000 square kilometer tourism megaproject will have a dedicated airport opening to travelers towards the end of 2023.
al-Zahrani said: It will allow visitors to “explore other dimensions of the country beyond the religious."
The Red Sea Project intends to open the conservative Kingdom to a new type of traveler, in contrast to the millions of pilgrims who visit Islam’s two holy cities of Mecca and Medina each year.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced the project in 2017 as part the wide-ranging Vision 2030 plan to diversify the country’s economy away from fossil fuels.
al-Zahrani said that even though the seaside resort will showcase the “sea, sand, and sun,” not often associated with the Kingdom, it will not take away from the cultural heritage of Saudi Arabia.
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He continued: “Saudi Arabia is the heart of the Islamic world and it’s going to continue to be the heart of the Islamic world, the heart of the Arabic world as well."
By the end of 2024, the multi-faceted destination will comprise of 3,000 rooms across 16 separate resorts – two inland and 14 on the coast.
When the second phase of construction finishes in 2030, there will be 8,000 rooms in 22 different resorts.
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al-Zahrani said: “We are introducing quality destinations that are going to shift and change the mindset and the lifestyle of people visiting destinations and exploring a new area."
Saudi Arabia has made strides in recent years to attract tourists to a country that was traditionally closed off to outsiders.
These include the introduction of a tourist e-visa in 2019, which allows travelers to stay in the country for up to 90 days after filling in a form and paying a fee of $128 (480 riyals).
Saudi official: The kingdom aims for 70 million tourism visits this year
The report noted that the Red Sea Project was one of several tourist destinations announced by the Crown Prince including the NEOM megacity, and the Diriyah Gate development in Riyadh.
Source: alarabyiaenglish
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