Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Tourism leads the Saudi Tourism ecosystem. The Ministry sets the Kingdom’s tourism sector strategy and is responsible for developing policies and regulations, developing human capital, gathering statistics, and attracting investment. It works in partnership with the Saudi Tourism Authority, which promotes Saudi Arabia as a global tourism destination, and the Tourism Development Fund, which executes the Ministry’s investment strategy by providing funding for the sector’s development. Headed by His Excellency Ahmed Al-Khateeb, the Ministry was founded in February 2020, following the opening of Saudi Arabia to international leisure tourists for the first time in its history in 2019.
Saudi Arabia aims to welcome 100 million tourists by 2030,
increasing the sector’s contribution to GDP from 3.8% in 2019 to 10%.
A proud and concerned tourism minister for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, His Excellency Ahmed Al-Khateeb
introduced yesterday the Environmental Impact Study, the first of its kind in the world and a landmark environmental research. It has been disclosed for 185 countries and reflects the depth of the travel & tourism sector’s global influence.
Climate change is the defining crisis of our time.
No place and no community is immune to its devastating consequences.
Rising temperatures are fueling environmental degradation. And biodiversity is reducing at an unprecedented rate. Coral reefs are dying. Oceans are acidifying. And sea levels continue to rise. Natural disasters and extreme weather events are also Increasing both in frequency and their impact.
Yet change is not happening fast enough, despite increased awareness and many global and travel and tourism sector-specific commitments.
Sustainability is at the heart of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and at the heart of the Kingdom’s future. Our goal is to achieve net zero by 2060. To achieve this, we are ingraining sustainability in everything the Kingdom does. From policy and investment to planning and infrastructure, our goal is to accelerate the energy transition and achieve our sustainability goals.
By 2030, we plan to generate 50% of our electricity from renewables.
We are taking a holistic approach to sustainability. This approach is embedded into our projects, large and small, from NEOM to the Red Sea and Green Riyadh, as well as in all the work that we do at the Ministry of Tourism.
We believe in the potential of travel and tourism to truly make a difference in people’s lives while being a force for good for the planet.
Globally, Travel & Tourism accounted for over 10% of global GDP and 1 in 10 jobs on the planet in 2019. And as the sector recovers from the pandemic, it is fast on its way to surpassing this figure. The sector not only drives economic growth but also poverty reduction, peace, and tolerance. Tourism has a positive impact on local communities and on people’s livelihoods.
Yet, despite its tremendous value, Travel & Tourism have serious environmental impacts. It is responsible for 8% of carbon emissions globally. Travelers can consume two to three times more water than local residents.
Travel & Tourism do not just influence our climate and biodiversity.
The sector is deeply affected by it as well. Deteriorating ecosystems put destinations at risk and overwhelm communities.
Our sector not only has the potential but the ability to be sustainable. We must be part of the solution.
We must tackle the climate and biodiversity crises proactively. To do this, we need insights and data into the status quo to be able to set clear goals for the years to come. We must help our sector through actionable toolkits, good practices and data.
This is exactly what the Sustainable Tourism Global Center, initiated by Saudi Arabia will do. This unique multi-country, multi-stakeholder global coalition will lead, accelerate, and track the tourism industry’s transition to net zero emissions, as well as drive action to protect nature and support communities.
Through this unique environmental impact research we are undertaking in partnership with the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), we are doing just that.
We are enabling countries and industry subsectors to gain a clear understanding of where they stand.
And this will enable meaningful change.
I am pleased to support this important effort. I believe this will be an invaluable resource for decision-makers around the world.
H.E. Ahmed Al-Khateeb
Minister of Tourism
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia