Saudi Arabia promotes cruise-ship tourism away from pandemic

  • Date: 07-Oct-2020
  • Source: Arab Weekly
  • Sector:Tourism
  • Country:Saudi Arabia
  • Who else needs to know?

Saudi Arabia promotes cruise-ship tourism away from pandemic

RIYADH - Sailing past pristine islands and turquoise lagoons, the first cruise ship offering Saudi tours serves a twin purpose — jump-starting tourism despite coronavirus fears and showcasing austerity-defying mega-projects planned along the Red Sea.

In August, the cruise liner Silver Spirit began offering tours along the unspoilt coastline which the petro-state aspires to turn into a global tourism and investment hotspot as part of a plan to reduce reliance on oil revenue.

Chartered by a company owned by the Saudi Public Investment Fund, the luxury ship offers a window into multi-billion-dollar “giga projects” that the kingdom is forging ahead with despite a sharp economic downturn.

“We are introducing the Red Sea to the world,” Tourism Minister Ahmed al-Khatib said in an interview aboard the ship.

“We are unlocking the value of the Red Sea.”

On