Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – Haichang Ocean Park Holdings, China’s largest ocean theme park operator, announced plans on Thursday to build Saudi Arabia’s first large ocean park, China News Service reported. The development is poised to invigorate the country’s tourism sector as it strives to rank among the world’s top 10 tourist destinations by 2030.
Haichang, which has a history of marine-themed tourism spanning over two decades, has previously collaborated on tourism projects in Vietnam, the Philippines, and Indonesia. While the exact timeline for the Saudi Arabian project remains undetermined, the company is confident in its potential to significantly enhance the region’s tourism appeal.
Currently operating parks in cities such as Shanghai, Dalian, Zhengzhou, and Sanya, Haichang attracts more than 20 million visitors annually. The new ocean park in Saudi Arabia aims to replicate this success, creating job opportunities and positioning the kingdom as an international leisure destination.
Since the beginning of this month, Saudi Arabia has welcomed Chinese group tours. The country’s Tourism Ministry aims to make China its third-largest source of international tourists by 2030. Online travel agency Ctrip reports that bookings for Saudi Arabian holidays by Chinese tourists have surged nearly fourfold for this month and the next compared to the same period last year, the CNS reported.
Li Jun, general manager of Haichang’s enterprise development department, noted the unique appeal of combining Saudi Arabia’s desert landscape with marine-themed attractions, stating, “The recreational facilities related to the marine park operated by Haichang Ocean Park are exactly the resources that are scarce in Saudi Arabia’s tourism, and the collision of ‘desert and sea’ creates a theme of contrast, which may bring a new highlight to the country’s tourism.”
In April last year, Haichang signed a memorandum of cooperation with Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Investment to explore culture- and tourism-related investment opportunities. Further solidifying this partnership, Haichang signed another memorandum with the Saudi Arabian Tourism Development Fund in December to jointly develop a world-class, integrated ocean-themed park resort in the country.
The project is anticipated to draw more visitors from China and other countries, boosting Saudi Arabia’s profile as a leading international tourist destination.