The Red Sea Project: Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 Tourism Development

This report delves into Saudi Arabia's Red Sea Project, a significant undertaking aimed at transforming the nation's tourism sector as part of its Vision 2030 initiative. The project involves developing a substantial portion of the Red Sea coastline into luxury beach resorts with laws aligned with international standards. Initial investments are provided by the Public Investment Fund, with construction slated to begin in 2019 and the first phase expected to be completed by 2022, including a domestic airport and premium hotels. The project aims to develop 50 islands and 180 km of coastline, creating approximately 35,000 new jobs and contributing significantly to the national GDP. It focuses on sustainable development and environmental protection, intending to position Saudi Arabia prominently on the global tourism map.

Ideas for Business Segments
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Table of Contents
Headline and by-line..................................................................................................................3
Introduction................................................................................................................................3
Discussion..................................................................................................................................3
Closing quotation.......................................................................................................................4
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................5
Reference list..............................................................................................................................6
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Headline and by-line
Reporter of the article named as “Saudi Arabia to turn 50 Red Sea islands into luxury
tourism resorts 'not subject to conservative kingdom’s rules” is Bethan McKernan.
Bethan McKeran
Introduction
This news article is centred on developing premium resorts in Saudi Arabia. It is reported that
the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has declared their plans to convert wider portion of its pristine
Red Sea coastline into a semi-autonomous luxury beach resorts (Gilchrist, 2018). Details
about this project would be explored in this study. It is also extracted from “state news
agency SPA report” that initial investments would be offered by the Public Investment Fund
before the opening of this project to global investors. Construction will start in the third
quarter of the next year, that is 2019, along with a first phase, which involves developing a
domestic airport and enhancing premium hotels and housing, likely to be finished by the third
quarter of 2022.
Discussion
According to the governmental announcement, it is reported that 50 islands and 180 km
coastline stretch leading to an area almost same with the size of Belgium would be developed
to home premium hotels and other important infrastructure that will exist under laws “on par
with international standards” in an attempt to draw travellers to this country (Buswell, 2011).
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This country has revealed this project that is spanning more than 100 miles of the Red Sea
coast as part of a continuous effort to develop the financial and global standing of Middle
Eastern Kingdom.
This plan of developing premium resort in this country is a part of “Vision 2030” (El-Gamal,
2016). This is Saudi Arabia’s long-term blueprint for accustoming itself off its reliance on oil
revenue. This project includes investments to the tune of almost £15.6m involving an attempt
to develop the kingdom’s budding travel sector (McKernan, 2018).
This “Red Sea project” would build premium hotels, various residential units along with an
effective transport infrastructure on the fifty islands as well as a string of sites on the Red Sea
coastline (jva.gov.jo, 2018).
All official announcements regarding this project come on the basis of a divisive treaty that
ceded control of two Red Sea islands from Egypt to this country. However, these two islands
are not involved in this planned project.
According to the Saudi statement, this Red Sea project would be a secure and environment
friendly project that would make sure the protection of all travellers in alignment of the
highest global best practices (Bason, 2016).
This project would be helpful for many residents of this country as almost 35,000 new jobs
would be created by this project that is eventually predicted to provide around 15 billion
riyals, that is, £3bn per year (Ekiz et al., 2017).
From this news article, one can understand that this project would facilitate the development
of this country’s income. The travel and tourism industry as the Red Sea project would
generate more tourists visit and become helpful for people by developing employment rates
in this industry. This project would help the travel and tourism industry in Saudi Arab to
become one of the leading sustainable business industries across the globe.
Closing quotation
According to the governmental announcement about the project it is understood that this
project would set new standards for the sustainable development and will bring about next
generation of premium travel to place this country on the global tourism map
(edition.cnn.com, 2018).
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Conclusion
This study has been helpful for developing an understanding regarding the new Red Sea
project of Saudi Arabia. Investment related news; construction related information and
various governmental announcements associated with project also have been mentioned in
this study. This Red Sea project is a part of the “Vision 2030”, which will this country to
develop luxury hotels to increase travel and tourism business in this country by the end of
2022. This project will generate near about 35,000 new jobs and increase the national GDP
level effectively.
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Reference list
Bason, C., 2016. Design for policy. Routledge.
Buswell, R.J., 2011. Mallorca and tourism: History, economy and environment (Vol. 49).
Channel View Publications.
edition.cnn.com (2018). [online] Available at: https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/saudi-
arabia-red-sea-project/index.html [Accessed 11 Apr. 2018].
Ekiz, E., Öter, Z. and Stephenson, M.L., 2017. 7 Tourism development in the Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia. International Tourism Development and the Gulf Cooperation Council States:
Challenges and Opportunities, p.124.
El-Gamal, M.A., 2016. Discordant Egyptian and Saudi Visions 2030 and the Forgotten Quest
for Mena Economic Integration.
Gilchrist, K. (2018). How 125 miles of coastline could add $4 billion and 35,000 jobs to
Saudi Arabia’s economy. [online] CNBC. Available at:
https://www.cnbc.com/2017/08/02/saudi-arabia-red-sea-tourism-project-4-billion-
economy.html [Accessed 11 Apr. 2018].
jva.gov.jo (2018). [online] Jva.gov.jo. Available at:
http://www.jva.gov.jo/sites/en-us/Documents/Red_Sea_Study_Main_Report_Final_July_201
3.pdf [Accessed 11 Apr. 2018].
McKernan, B. (2018). Saudi Arabia says it's turning 50 islands into luxury tourism resorts
not subject to conservative kingdom’s rules. [online] The Independent. Available at:
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/saudi-arabia-red-sea-islands-luxury-
tourism-resorts-holiday-no-conservative-kingdom-rules-egypt-a7873301.html [Accessed 11
Apr. 2018].
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