introduction: Wish you were here
Wish you were here
The history books chart Saudi Arabia's origins to 1744 when the sprawling desert landmass was first recognised as a single state. But it would be nearly 200 years before the foundations for the current Kingdom were laid. Abdul-Aziz bin Saud captured the Al-Saud's ancestral home in 1902, marking the beginning of a reign that saw him proclaiming the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia some 30 years later.
Today, the heart of the Middle East is a vast Islamic state with a rich oil-led economy and population nearing 30 million. The Arabian Peninsula's largest country is bordered by Iraq on the north and northeast, Jordan on the northwest, Bahrain, the UAE, Kuwait and Qatar to the east, Oman in the southeast and Yemen in the south. West of the country lies the popular diving resort of the Red Sea, with the Arabian Gulf located in the northeast.
The Kingdom holds the enviable title of world's leading petroleum exporter. Oil accounts for 90 percent of Saudi's exports and nearly 75 percent of government revenues. It is estimated that the Kingdom has 263 billion barrels in reserve, equating to roughly one quarter of the world's revenues.
Contrasting landscapes
Saudi Arabia's terrain and geography is varied, with harsh sweeping deserts and rocky mountain ranges covering the Kingdom. Travelling in the west brings you to the coastal region of Tihamah where the land rises from sea level to peninsula-long mountain range, Jabal al-Hejaz, before it plateaus at the central region of Nejd.
The land towards the shores of the Arabian Gulf in the east is typically rocky and sandy, while venturing along the southern border brings you to the hostile Rub' al Khali (Empty Quarter) desert. Saudi Arabia's freshest climate is in the south western Asir region, where the largest mountains rise to 3,000 metres. It offers a welcome reprieve from the typically arid, swelteringly hot conditions throughout Saudi Arabia, which remains one of few places on the planet to record summer temperatures of 50 degrees and above.
Tourist trail
Since being established by Royal decree in 2000, Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) has focused on pushing the Kingdom as a tourism destination. Its main duty is to promote Saudi's economic, social, environmental and cultural values. The tourism body's strategy is based on several pillars, such as hospitality, archaeology, varied landscape, cultural heritage, a modern infrastructure, geographic location and safety.
To establish a thriving tourism industry, SCTA created the National Tourism Development Project to meet several objectives within a 20-year timeframe. The first aim was to introduce a general strategy and create official tourism departments by 2014. Subsequent goals include rolling out the tourism development strategies and collaborating with regional administrators.
Hoping to raise Saudi's profile, SCTA launched the Saudi Voyager magazine in late 2010 to promote cultural, historical and destination highlights. The authority also introduced the Saudi Tourism Excellence Awards programme to enhance operational performance and acknowledge industry excellence. Award categories include accommodation, shopping and entertainment, food and beverage, transportation, the tourism industry, MICE, people and special recognition. The first awards ceremony to announce the winners takes place during the Saudi Travel and Tourism Investment Market 2011 in March.
Pushing business travel
Hajj pilgrims and business travellers account for most inbound traffic to Saudi Arabia, according to SCTA. Arrivals in the Kingdom have increased 11 percent during the past two years, contributing SAR102 billion or US$27.1 billion (7.2 percent) in 2009 to its GDP. The industry's growth will create more job opportunities, increasing the number of employees from 590,000 in 2009 to 922,000 (9.4 percent of the working population) by 2019.
With annual revenues of SAR52 billion (US$13.8 billion) coming from international travel and tourism, it's clear to see why Saudi authorities are targeting business travellers.
"Despite being one of the 22 highest inbound markets in the world, the Kingdom aims at fully developing the potential of its tourism sector," a recent SCTA statement said. "Several trade events are already being lined up to encourage regional and international investors and exhibitors to explore the numerous prospects available within the thriving Saudi travel and tourism market."
The authority added that increasing inbound travel in 2011 would be one of the major talking points during the fourth annual Saudi Travel and Tourism Investment Market this March. "As the largest economy in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia has the necessary resources to expand travel and tourism as major income generators. There are still numerous development opportunities available in areas such as Al-Wajh, Assir, Al Qassim, and Hail, to name a few," said Mohammed Al Hussaini, deputy general manager for Riyadh Exhibitions Company.
"One of the government's priorities is to increase the regional and global visibility of the Kingdom's tourism and hospitality offerings. The SCTA's annual STTIM is an excellent platform to achieve this goal."
For meetings and incentives personnel, Saudi Arabia has a reasonable support infrastructure comprising airports, hotels, business tourism bodies and professional organisations in Damman, Riyadh and Jeddah.
According to SCTA figures, the Kingdom hosts more than 92,000 events for a combined 4.7 million delegates per year. Of those attendees, however, most are Saudi nationals. Conferences and meetings account for most events annually, with exhibitions representing four percent. Of that number, between 50 and 60 exhibitions target trade and consumers. But efforts are being made to expand the conference and meetings industry as part of the Kingdom's development.
Hotels with conference facilities are most commonly used to stage events as dedicated exhibition venues in the Kingdom remain at a premium. Saudi Arabia boasts some 445 potential meetings venues, predominantly in Riyadh, Jeddah and Damman, suggesting that the infrastructure for a developing industry is in place. Indeed, the SCTA estimates that Saudi Arabia has some 55 principal venues of which the majority (40) in the Kingdom are hotels.
On the conferencing side, venues such as the King Khaled Conference Centre in Buraidah, Al-Qassim, often host festivals and lectures for domestic clients. Over in Riyadh, The King Abdulaziz Historical Centre is considered a well-fitted, modern venue that offers a fixed-seat auditorium. Elsewhere, government conference centres such as Qassim Provincial Headquarters and the King Faisal Hall, and university buildings with dedicated meetings facilities, are sometimes available for commercial events.
One education faculty that is definitely opening its doors to event planners is the Qassim University, which has a major conference centre planned. The centre will have a 2,500-seat auditorium, 5,000 square metres of exhibition space and various ancillary facilities.
Perhaps one of the Kingdom's best known venues, The Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center was conceived in 1994 and recently developed by the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce. The 15,000 square metres venue offers a 1,100-seat auditorium, among other facilities. Another prestigious venue is the Jeddah International Exhibition Centre, which was the first conference facility built in Saudi some 21 years ago. It is owned by the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Elsewhere, a 5,000 square metre exhibition hall is planned at the Dhahran International Exhibition Centre in Damman.
More meetings and event facilities are expected once King Abdullah Economic City opens. The residential and business hub is being built near Rabegh industry city on the western coast, north of Jeddah. Stretching 35 km along the coastline, the development will boast research centres for the pharmaceutical, tourism, finance and education sectors. Plans to open hotels with conference rooms and facilities have been mooted as Saudi looks to establish itself as a prime location for the meetings sector. Fulfilling this objective will take time, but with several developments in the pipeline the Kingdom is clearly making headway.
