Since the year 2000 Saudi Arabia has led Arab countries in terms of the number of its citizens traveling abroad as tourists. During the summer months, some 3.5 million Saudis travel to other countries, mainly Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, and Syria. Saudis spend a staggering $60 billion every year on travel.
Studies conducted over the past years to determine why Saudis travel abroad in such large numbers found leisure to be the main motive. Millions leave the Kingdom every year for amusement and to refresh both their body and mind.
Regardless of the motives and reasons that drive these large numbers to leave their country every year, an overall view of the travel and hospitality industry in the Kingdom will show that the sector continues to suffer acute shortages in the kind of programs and plans that encourage domestic tourism and convince people to spend the holiday inside the country.
What is required in my opinion is the formation of a special committee drawn from senior academics to study the types of recreation sought by the various sectors of Saudi tourists — children, youth and adults. Based on the results of the study, the state, in cooperation with the private sector, should embark on building exclusive tourist cities in various parts of the Kingdom that would provide the kind of recreation tourists seek.
If we succeed in building such an infrastructure in a way that would respond to the needs of Saudi tourists, I believe we would be able to cut by half the number of people who travel abroad every year. This would save the economy $30 million annually and create more job opportunities for thousands of Saudis, especially the young.
