‘Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector to achieve 150 million visitors by 2030’

• In recent years, Saudi Arabia has invested $800 billion in tourism, and just in the first 6 months of 2024, the country welcomed 60 million tourists, Aradhana Khowala tells TRENDS
• Nearly 50% of those involved with Red Sea Global are locals, which highlights an important shift from the old model of relying on imported, inexpensive labor, she notes

Qantas scraps non-stop UK flight due to Middle East unrest

• The flight, usually a non-stop 17-and-a-half hour journey, will now refuel in Singapore, allowing it to carry a full load of passengers on a route that avoids contested air space
• The region is bracing for a military retaliation from Iran against Israel, following the killing of Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of the Palestinian group Hamas

Saudi Arabia leads GCC travel growth to India with a 40% rise in flight searches: report

Saudi bid to host 2034 World Cup positions Kingdom as global center for top sports events

• Saudi topped the UNs’ list for highest growth in international tourist numbers in 2023
• FIFA is set to confirm Saudi Arabia as the host for the 2034 event in December

Jordan’s Umm al-Jimal added to UNESCO heritage list

• The village is near the Jordanian-Syrian border, 86 kilometres north of Amman, and is known as "the black oasis" due to the prevalence of black volcanic rock in the area
• The village was first settled by the Nabataean peoples in the first century AD and later occupied by the Romans, becoming an important agricultural and commercial village

IOC creates historic Olympic Esports Games with 2025 launch in Saudi

• Saudi already has over 23.5 million gamers, of whom almost half are females
• Saudi has hosted over 1,700 elite players from over 80 countries over the last two years

Paris prepares warm Olympics welcome — except for rats

• Boulevards and squares have been thoroughly spruced up, with many historic buildings given a makeover
• "Where there were areas with lots of rats, we put traps in place ahead of the Games" - French Deputy Mayor

Moonlit scramble across the sand for Turkey’s booming baby turtle population

• It is a perilous journey into the unknown for the sea turtles as only about one in 1,000 hatchlings will survive to adulthood
• Despite grave threats from humans and predators such as birds, crabs and ants, protection measures are bearing fruit on Turkey's southern coast

Saudi Arabia’s tourist spending reaches $40bn: minister

• Passenger air traffic in Saudi Arabia rose by 17 percent in the first half of 2024, reaching 62 million compared to 53 million in the same period last year
• This growth was aided by a 12 percent increase in flights, with 446,000 recorded compared to 399,000 in the first half of 2023

Al-Hada and Muhammadya Al-Shafa in Taif: A tapestry of tourism, nature

• The paved roads of Al-Hada and Al-Shafa mountains, such as Akabat Al-Kar and Akabat Al-Muhammadya, provide easy access to biodiversity
• Visitors can spend their days under the shade of abundant juniper trees and beside cool freshwater streams, allowing them to appreciate Taif's unique and pristine natural diversity