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The Saudi Tourism Development Fund allocated one billion Saudi riyals ($267 million) for four new hospitality projects in Makkah Al-Mukarramah and Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah and restarting 9,000 hotel rooms in Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, in order to accommodate the movement of Umrah pilgrims during the blessed month of Ramadan, which is expected to return to pre-COVID-19 rates. Saudi Arabia aims to receive 15 million pilgrims by 2025.
The Saudi Minister of Tourism, Ahmed Al-Khatib, stated, during his inspection visit to the two holy cities, accompanied by the Saudi Minister of Hajj, Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, that the new projects aim to raise the capacity of hospitality facilities and improve their services, as part of a plan to add 5,000 new hotel rooms in Makkah and Madinah by the end of the year 2023, in response to demand. The increasing number of pilgrims and visitors.
This comes in line with Saudi Arabia’s launch of a number of initiatives to facilitate the journey of Umrah pilgrims and visitors coming to the Kingdom, including the provision of a visit visa to Saudi Arabia for residents of the Gulf countries and residents of Europe, the United States and Britain in the middle of last year, in addition to providing a free transit visa to visit the Kingdom or perform Umrah when traveling. With Saudi airlines (Saudi Airlines and flynas).
Saudi Arabia aims to raise the capacity to host 15 million Umrah pilgrims by 2025, to reach 30 million Umrah pilgrims annually by 2030, according to the objectives of the pilgrims’ service program, one of the Saudi Vision 2030 realization programs, to allow the largest possible number of Muslims to perform Hajj and Umrah with ease. And pleased.
