Saudi outlines plans to become travel hub
- Date: 11-May-2022
- Source: Gulf Times
- Sector:Transport
- Country:Saudi Arabia
Saudi outlines plans to become travel hub
Saudi Arabia on Monday pitched aviation industry leaders on its plans to become a global travel hub, drawing scepticism from analysts who questioned how it could compete against regional heavyweights.
The kingdom’s aviation goals, part of Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman’s wide-ranging “Vision 2030” reforms, include more than tripling annual traffic to 330mn passengers by the end of the decade.
It also wants to draw $100bn in investments to the sector by 2030, establish a new national flag carrier, construct a new “mega airport” in Riyadh and move up to 5mn tonnes of cargo each year. Officials outlined how they intend to hit those targets during a global aviation forum that began Monday in Riyadh.
Organisers said 2,000 delegates are trying to chart the airline industry’s post-pandemic recovery.
“Over the next 10 years the kingdom will emerge as the Middle East’s leading aviation hub,” Transport Minister Saleh al-Jasser told the forum’s opening session.
The strategy hinges on tapping Saudi Arabia’s large domestic market, he told AFP in an interview, citing what analysts described as a major advantage for Saudi carriers over regional rivals.
“We are very focused on building connectivity to Saudi Arabia, in helping the tourism industry to grow in