Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Wednesday, Dec 03, 2025

Qatar's Tourism Boom and Saudi Arabia's Strategic Advances: Highlights from Economic Growth to Humanitarian Efforts

Qatar's tourism surges with a 24.5% visitor increase, driven prominently by Gulf travelers; Saudi Arabia eyes economic growth through strategic logistics improvements and international partnerships.
Qatar is on the rise as a top tourist destination, witnessing a remarkable 24.5% increase in visitors this August, a leap that aligns seamlessly with its Vision 2030 tourism goals. Notably, travelers from the Gulf Cooperation Council countries made up 41% of this influx with a preference for air travel, setting the stage for Qatar's ambitious target of over 6 million annual visitors.

Meanwhile, over in Saudi Arabia, the nation continues to bolster its logistics sector, achieving a notable 55% jump in container transhipment volume from 2017 to 2023. Thanks to strategic enhancements in infrastructure and location advantages, the Kingdom has also seen a 31% boost in container import and export volumes, aligning perfectly with its expansion goals.

In addition to its economic strides, Saudi Arabia is reinforcing its humanitarian efforts abroad, as seen with the arrival of a second relief plane in Lebanon from the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center. This initiative, supporting Lebanon during its crisis, showcases the Kingdom's continued commitment to providing crucial food, shelter, and medical aid on the global stage.

Looking ahead to environmental matters, Saudi Arabia is set to host COP16 in Riyadh this December, inviting nations to address combatting desertification and related challenges. The recent meeting in Jeddah with the Technical Committee for the Environment reflects the Kingdom's active engagement with biodiversity agreements and G20 initiatives focused on land preservation.

However, it's not all sunshine in Saudi Arabia, as the nation braces itself for heavy rainfall and potential floods in areas including Makkah and Riyadh this week. The General Directorate of Civil Defense has urged residents to remain vigilant and steer clear of flood-prone locations, particularly in the heavily affected regions.

Lastly, fostering economic growth through international partnerships, Saudi Arabia's Minister of Industry is in Italy to explore innovative joint investments. The visit is set to forge stronger economic ties, with discussions spanning industries from automobiles to marine sectors, promising a transfer of cutting-edge technology and expertise back to Saudi Arabia.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Saudi Arabia Sharpens Its Strategic Vision as Economic Transformation Enters New Phase
Saudi Arabia Projects $44 Billion Budget Shortfall in 2026 as Economy Rebalances
OPEC+ Unveils New Capacity-Based System to Anchor Future Oil Output Levels
Will Saudi Arabia End Up Bankrolling Israel’s Post-Ceasefire Order in Lebanon?
Saudi Arabia’s SAMAI Initiative Surpasses One-Million-Citizen Milestone in National AI Upskilling Drive
Saudi Arabia’s Specialty Coffee Market Set to Surge as Demand Soars and New Exhibition Drops in December
Saudi Arabia Moves to Open Two New Alcohol Stores for Foreigners Under Vision 2030 Reform
Saudi Arabia’s AI Ambitions Gain Momentum — but Water, Talent and Infrastructure Pose Major Hurdles
Tensions Surface in Trump-MBS Talks as Saudi Pushes Back on Israel Normalisation
Saudi Arabia Signals Major Maritime Crack-Down on Houthi Routes in Red Sea
Italy and Saudi Arabia Seal Over 20 Strategic Deals at Business Forum in Riyadh
COP30 Ends Without Fossil Fuel Phase-Out as US, Saudi Arabia and Russia Align in Obstruction Role
Saudi-Portuguese Economic Horizons Expand Through Strategic Business Council
DHL Commits $150 Million for Landmark Logistics Hub in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Aramco Weighs Disposals Amid $10 Billion-Plus Asset Sales Discussion
Trump Hosts Saudi Crown Prince for Major Defence and Investment Agreements
Families Accuse OpenAI of Enabling ‘AI-Driven Delusions’ After Multiple Suicides
Riyadh Metro Records Over One Hundred Million Journeys as Saudi Capital Accelerates Transit Era
Trump’s Grand Saudi Welcome Highlights U.S.–Riyadh Pivot as Israel Watches Warily
U.S. Set to Sell F-35 Jets to Saudi Arabia in Major Strategic Shift
Saudi Arabia Doubles Down on U.S. Partnership in Strategic Move
Saudi Arabia Charts Tech and Nuclear Leap Under Crown Prince’s U.S. Visit
Trump Elevates Saudi Arabia to Major Non-NATO Ally Amid Defense Deal
Trump Elevates Saudi Arabia to Major Non-NATO Ally as MBS Visit Yields Deepened Ties
Iran Appeals to Saudi Arabia to Mediate Restart of U.S. Nuclear Talks
Musk, Barra and Ford Join Trump in Lavish White House Dinner for Saudi Crown Prince
Lawmaker Seeks Declassification of ‘Shocking’ 2019 Call Between Trump and Saudi Crown Prince
US and Saudi Arabia Forge Strategic Defence Pact Featuring F-35 Sale and $1 Trillion Investment Pledge
Saudi Sovereign Wealth Fund Emerges as Key Contender in Warner Bros. Discovery Sale
Trump Secures Sweeping U.S.–Saudi Agreements on Jets, Technology and Massive Investment
Detroit CEOs Join White House Dinner as U.S.–Saudi Auto Deal Accelerates
Netanyahu Secures U.S. Assurance That Israel’s Qualitative Military Edge Will Remain Despite Saudi F-35 Deal
Ronaldo Joins Trump and Saudi Crown Prince’s Gala Amid U.S.–Gulf Tech and Investment Surge
U.S.–Saudi Investment Forum Sees U.S. Corporate Titans and Saudi Royalty Forge Billion-Dollar Ties
Elon Musk’s xAI to Deploy 500-Megawatt Saudi Data Centre with State-backed Partner HUMAIN
U.S. Clears Export of Advanced AI Chips to Saudi Arabia and UAE Amid Strategic Tech Partnership
xAI Selects Saudi Data-Centre as First Customer of Nvidia-Backed Humain Project
A Decade of Innovation Stagnation at Apple: The Cook Era Critique
President Trump Hosts Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Washington Amid Strategic Deal Talks
Saudi Crown Prince to Press Trump for Direct U.S. Role in Ending Sudan War
Trump Hosts Saudi Crown Prince: Five Key Takeaways from the White House Meeting
Trump Firmly Defends Saudi Crown Prince Over Khashoggi Murder Amid Washington Visit
Trump Backs Saudi Crown Prince Over Khashoggi Killing Amid White House Visit
Trump Publicly Defends Saudi Crown Prince Over Khashoggi Killing During Washington Visit
President Donald Trump Hosts Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at White House to Seal Major Defence and Investment Deals
Saudi Arabia’s Solar Surge Signals Unlikely Shift in Global Oil Powerhouse
Saudi Crown Prince Receives Letter from Iranian President Ahead of U.S. Visit
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Begins Washington Visit to Cement Long-Term U.S. Alliance
Saudi Crown Prince Meets Trump in Washington to Deepen Defence, AI and Nuclear Ties
Saudi Arabia Accelerates Global Mining Strategy to Build a New Economic Pillar
×