JEDDAH, 21 March — Last year’s Jeddah tourism festival helped various economic sectors in the city earn SR1.584 billion, according to a scientific study conducted by an international consultancy firm in coordination with an economist at King Abdul Aziz University.
"The amount accounts for direct and indirect spending on various sectors, with retail trade representing the largest amount at SR500 million," Jeddah Governor Prince Mishaal ibn Majed told a meeting of the tourism development committee.
The meeting, chaired by Makkah Governor Prince Abdul Majeed, reviewed the economic results of the last festival and preparations for the next one.
According to the study, which was conducted in cooperation with the research center of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, hotels and furnished apartments made SR315 million, restaurants and fast-food outlets SR416 million, and recreation centers SR212 million.
The study estimated the number of tourists who visited the city during the festival at 3.833 million, in light of information collected from Saudi Arabian Airlines and the Presidency of Civil Aviation.
As many as 320,400 tourists came from abroad by plane to take part in the festival, while 425,127 came from within the Kingdom, also by plane. Some two million also came by car from different parts of the country.
The study found a substantial increase in economic returns as a result of a rise in the number of participants. The Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA) said the withdrawal of money through ATMs increased from SR1.8 billion in 2000 to SR2.5 billion during the 2001 festival period.
Electricity consumption reached 1.9 million megawatt/hour during the festival time, the highest in the year, while water consumption rose to 13.7 to 14.6 million cubic feet. Occupancy at hostels and furnished apartments jumped from one million to 1.8 million.
The festival which was organized during the past three years with the theme, Jeddah Ghair (Jeddah is different), highlighted the significance of the city as a major tourist center in the Gulf region.
