Tourism in Saudi Arabia Yields $9.6B in Two Months
September 14, 2019, 12:39 pm

Tourism in Saudi Arabia Yields $9.6B in Two Months

There has been a significant increase in the volume of spending in the domestic tourism sector during the first eight months of 2019, reaching SR33.8 billion from SR 31.3 billion during the same period last year.

Tourist inflow recorded an increase while the outflow of tourists dropped by 5.8 percent during the period, according to a recent report of the Tourism Information and Research Center (MAS) at the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH).

The report pointed out that the domestic tourist traffic registered an increase of 3.4 percent to 30 million trips from January to August 2019 comparing with the same period last year.

There has been a total of 156.5 million tourism nights during the period as against 156.2 million tourism nights in 2018, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The report also showed that the inbound tourism has witnessed a remarkable increase during the past two months with the total tourist trips for the months of July and August 2019, which coincide the annual summer vacation and Haj seasons, account for 3.2 million passengers compared to three million passengers during the same period in 2018.

Their total value of spending reached SR36.2 billion compared to SR33 billion during the same period last year. Inbound tourists spent more than 56 million nights over the last two months, compared to 52.9 million for the same period in 2018.

According to the MAS report, the number of tourists who traveled outside the Kingdom during the period from January to August dropped by 5.8 percent, compared to the same period last year.

The tourist outflow during the annual summer vacation during the months of July and August fell to 4.4 million passengers as against 4.6 million passengers for the same period in 2018.

The report noted that the volume of tourism nights spent by travelers outside the Kingdom in July and August this year accounted for 78.4 million, a decrease of 4.6 percent from the same period in 2018.

They spent nearly SR16.4 billion during this period, down by 5.9 percent from the same summer period last year.

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has announced its sponsorship of the “Innovation and Sustainable Technology Solutions Competition (GU - IST Solutions), hosted by Gulf University at its main campus.
This strategic sponsorship reflects BENEFIT’s active role in advancing technological innovation and fostering sustainable solutions to future challenges. It also seeks to empower Bahraini youth by enhancing their skills, capabilities, and competitiveness in innovation and solution development—contributing meaningfully to the broader goals of sustainable development across all sectors.
As part of BENEFIT’s active involvement in the competition, the company has announced that Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager of Public Relations and Communication, will serve on the competition’s supervisory committee. Her upcoming participation reflects BENEFIT’s forward-looking commitment to championing academic and professional excellence.
Commenting on the occasion, Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager of Public Relations and Communication at BENEFIT, said, “We are privileged to support this pioneering initiative, which aligns seamlessly with BENEFIT’s enduring commitment to fostering innovation and nurturing the potential of Bahrain’s youth. Our participation is rooted in a deep sense of social responsibility and a firm belief in the pivotal role of innovation in shaping a sustainable future. Through such platforms, we seek to empower the next generation with the knowledge, skills, and foresight required to develop impactful solutions that address future challenges, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030.”
Dr. Aseel Al Ayash Dean of the College of Engineering in Gulf University commented, “We extend our sincere gratitude to BENEFIT for their generous sponsorship and support of the Innovation and Sustainable Technology Solutions Competition. This contribution plays an instrumental role in helping us achieve the strategic goals of this initiative, namely, cultivating a culture of innovation and sustainability, encouraging efforts that address the imperatives of sustainable development, and enhancing the practical and professional capabilities of our students and participants.”
The event will bring together a diverse spectrum of participants, including secondary school students, university undergraduates, engineers, industry professionals, entrepreneurs, academic researchers, and subject matter experts representing a wide range of disciplines.
The competition seeks to inspire participants to develop and present innovative, sustainable technologies aimed at addressing pressing environmental, social, and economic challenges. It encourages the formulation of business models that integrate advanced technological solutions with core principles of sustainability. Moreover, it serves as a platform for emerging leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators to contribute to the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals, promote the ethos of responsible technology, and demonstrate its transformative potential across various sectors.
Attendees will have the opportunity to view a series of project presentations submitted by participants, covering diverse areas such as eco-friendly product design, smart and sustainable innovations, renewable energy technologies, water conservation and management, waste minimisation and recycling, green architectural solutions, and sustainable transportation systems. Outstanding projects will be formally recognised and awarded at the conclusion of the event.