Diriyah expected to ramp up tourism revenues
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Diriyah in Saudi Arabia has the potential to become a key tourist destination following the completion of renovation work on its historic mud houses and other buildings, according to sources.
“Diriyah is known for its history. It is expected to ramp up tourism revenues once renovations of the mud houses are completed and promises to be a major tourist destination now that the Kingdom has stepped up efforts to diversify economy,” said Saad Al-Bazei, a Shoura member and writer.
He added that Diriyah boasts a major tourist attraction in the form of Turaif, which was recently declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Turaif is the second historic site in Saudi Arabia to be added to the World Hertage List, following Madain Saleh in 2008.
Experts say a new building technology is being used in renovation of the buildings in Diriyah which is in accordance with an earlier official announcement.
The Kingdom aims to double tourism revenue by 2020 as part of plans to diversify its economy, according to Fahd Al-Rasheed, CEO and managing director of King Abdullah Economic City.
He said that the tourism sector offers ‘massive opportunities’ for growth on the back of a major investment that is being made to build a high-speed rail network and expanding airports across the country.
He added that new infrastructure is being added to boost Umrah and Haj arrivals from 10 million a year to 20 million annually, as well as expand domestic tourism from 200 million room nights to 700 million room nights a year over the next five years.
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