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Saudi Arabia Ranks World’s 2nd Fastest Growing Tourism Destination

Saudi Ministry of Tourism Building (File Photo AAWSAT AR)
Saudi Ministry of Tourism Building (File Photo AAWSAT AR)
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Saudi Arabia Ranks World’s 2nd Fastest Growing Tourism Destination

Saudi Ministry of Tourism Building (File Photo AAWSAT AR)
Saudi Ministry of Tourism Building (File Photo AAWSAT AR)

Saudi Arabia ranked second place as the fastest-growing tourist destination in the world, according to a report of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Barometer.

The report indicated that the recovery rate of the tourism sector in Saudi Arabia reached 150 percent compared to pre COVID-19 levels.

It also highlighted that the highest recovery rate recorded by international tourism in the Middle East at the global level is 120 percent compared to pro-pandemic levels.

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World Bank Redirects Funds Towards Lebanon Emergency Aid

Flames rise from Israeli airstrikes in Dahiyeh, Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
Flames rise from Israeli airstrikes in Dahiyeh, Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
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World Bank Redirects Funds Towards Lebanon Emergency Aid

Flames rise from Israeli airstrikes in Dahiyeh, Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
Flames rise from Israeli airstrikes in Dahiyeh, Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

The World Bank announced on Thursday that it was redirecting funds originally earmarked for development programs in Lebanon towards emergency aid for people displaced by Israeli bombardment of the country.

"The World Bank is activating emergency response plans to be able to repurpose resources in the portfolio to respond to the urgent needs of people in Lebanon," said a statement from the US-based multilateral institution.

The multilateral institution currently has $1.5 billion in funding for programs in Lebanon. Part of this amount will be redirected.

Since September 23, more than 1,000 people have been killed in an Israeli air-and-ground campaign on Lebanon that has targeted armed group Hezbollah in the south and east of the country, with strikes expanding to include the capital Beirut.

Thousands have been displaced since the bombing began, and the funds would be used to provide aid to those populations, the World Bank said.

"This would include emergency support to displaced people that could be deployed through a digital platform the World Bank helped put in place during the Covid epidemic," the statement said.