Saudi Arabia Aims to Have 12 Million Visitors From India by 2030

Alhasan Aldabbagh, President of APAC Markets, Saudi Tourism Authority, stated that Saudi Arabia plans to increase the total number of direct flights from India to the country by 19.3% to 290 per week from the present 243 per week. 

He said, "This year, our aim is to double our visitation numbers to two million. We have already welcomed 400,000 Indian travelers during the first quarter of this year and by 2030, we aim to reach over 12 million Indian visitors”.

The Kingdom plans to increase inbound flights from India, the second-largest economy in Asia, by 19 percent in an effort to promote tourism and welcome visitors from India. Al Dabbagh described India as a crucial strategic market and stated that the Kingdom had been focusing on "Tier 1 cities," like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Kochi, and Calicut.

Al-Dabbagh mentioned in the interview that Saudi Arabia is aiming to attract two important groups of Indian tourists: first, families who come to the Kingdom to experience its flourishing cultural regions, and second, individuals who come to Saudi Arabia to see friends and family. There are currently 2.6 million Indians living in the Kingdom.

Over 42,000 keys are currently being constructed in Saudi Arabia's hospitality pipeline, according to Al-Dabbagh, which is a clear sign of the Kingdom's expanding tourism industry. Three new hotels, including Six Senses, St. Regis, and Nujama, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, will debut as part of the Red Sea Global project in 2023 alone.