Columnist

Author

Aradhana Khowala

Aradhana Khowala is a global authority on the luxury travel and tourism industries having worked across 75 countries. She is currently the chair of the global advisory board of The Red Sea Development Company.

Latest published

Lest we forget: it’s social reforms that wrote the Saudi growth story

The Saudi delegation at Davos this week will proudly represent the vibrant, diversified economy of Saudi Arabia as it emerged as the fastest-growing G20 economy in 2022, and its gross domestic product is projected to grow 8.5 percent this year.

January 17, 2023

Social sustainability is the new X factor for tourist destinations

Increased awareness by the public, climate change diplomacy and an alarming increase in abnormalities and disasters across the globe has meant the corporate commitment and progress toward the fight against climate change has leapfrogged many levels in recent years.

November 22, 2022

How Saudi Arabia can lead a global revolution in edtech

Saudi Arabia spends nearly 8 percent of its gross domestic product on education. It is about twice the amount allocated by other Gulf Cooperation Council nations and developed countries.

October 24, 2022

Meaningful journeys need experiences to fill your soul

Amid shifting generational demands, economic crises, a surge of new technologies and social media influencers teaching us how to travel, tourism destinations are drastically transforming.

September 12, 2022

The Red Sea Project: Building for eternity

When I first visited the Kingdom five years ago, I was completely bowled over by the natural assets and the physical beauty of the country.

The mountains, the beaches, the pristine marine life, the people, the preserved heritage sites, the sceneries and so on.

August 04, 2022

How Saudi Arabia can get mileage out of Chinese tourists

China is not only the biggest travel market in the world but also one of the biggest spenders globally.

At its peak in 2019, China had an estimated 155 million tourists traveling abroad, three times as many as it had in 2010, and they were spending $255 billion abroad.

July 04, 2022

Travel hotspots must put on a show for returning tourists after the pandemic

This year has been painful for global stock market investors, but the last few weeks have been especially difficult after several giant US retailers such as Wal-Mart, Target, Gap and Dick’s Sporting Goods all warned of a significant slowdown in consumer spending.

June 05, 2022

The pandemic and rampant inflation means the Kingdom’s tourism projects need a plan B

The COVID-19 pandemic sent the tourist industry into a once in a generation crash, but just as it was beginning to recover a new threat of rampant inflation looks set to significantly disrupt demand again.

April 27, 2022

The drive for smaller supply chains creates new opportunities for Saudi Arabia

It’s always worth remembering what German economist Rudi Dornbusch said — things take longer to happen than you think they will, and then they happen faster than you thought they could.

March 30, 2022