Saudi Arabia to turn historic palaces into tourist attractions
The kingdom eyes 150 million tourists annually by 2030
Cairo: Saudi Arabia plans to convert its historic palaces into tourist sightseeing attractions for visitors as the kingdom is seeking to be a global tourist destination.
The Boutique Group, a subsidiary of the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), said it plans to develop three such palaces, turn them into ultra-luxury hotels, and open them for guests next year.
The first group of historic palaces in the plan are Al Hamra Palace in the port city of Jeddah, the Red Palace in Riyadh and Tuwaiq Palace also in the Saudi capital.
The refurbished sites are aimed to be tourist attractions for domestic and international visitors.
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Boutique Group, fully owned by PIF, defines itself as a hospitality company that transforms historic palaces into ultra-luxury hotels and promotes Saudi heritage and culture.
The destinations feature art galleries, elegant public spaces and gardens, as well as a variety of restaurants, spaces for exhibitions, and lush green areas adorned with art, sculptures, and fountains, according to Boutique.
Saudi Arabia’s tourism industry has flourished in recent years.
The number of tourists in the kingdom surged to more than 100 million last year.
Saudi Tourism Minister Ahmed Al Khateeb said earlier this year the kingdom’s tourism sector in 2023 fulfilled a target of 100 million tourists including 77 million local visitors and 27 million tourist arrivals.
He cited a strategy charted by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman envisaging 150 million tourists annually in the country by the year 2030 including 80 million domestic tourists and 70 foreign million arrivals.
The aim is also to make Saudi Arabia rank among the world’s top 10 tourist attractors.
In recent years, the kingdom has introduced a set of facilities aimed to draw more foreign tourists to the country as part of an ambitious development scheme designed to diversify oil-reliant economy.