Saudi Arabia Launches Jeddah International Travel and Tourism Exhibition

Visitors at the Jeddah International Tourism and Travel Exhibition 2024. (Photo by: Adnan Mahdali)
Visitors at the Jeddah International Tourism and Travel Exhibition 2024. (Photo by: Adnan Mahdali)
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Saudi Arabia Launches Jeddah International Travel and Tourism Exhibition

Visitors at the Jeddah International Tourism and Travel Exhibition 2024. (Photo by: Adnan Mahdali)
Visitors at the Jeddah International Tourism and Travel Exhibition 2024. (Photo by: Adnan Mahdali)

The Jeddah International Travel and Tourism Exhibition (JTTX) 2024 kicked off at the Jeddah Superdome on Sunday.

The Jeddah Exhibition is hosting 250 local and international entities, including tourism bodies, the private sector, airlines, hotels, resorts, and specialized tourism companies, and seeking to attract more than 40,000 visitors, tourists, and specialists.

The Exhibition is hosting new companies from several countries, including Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Jordan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Chad, Mauritius, Cyprus, Hungary, Georgia, and other companies from AlUla.

The Jeddah Superdome is the largest geodesic dome in the world to ever stand without pillars and hosts multi-purpose exhibits, sports, shows, and international conferences.

President of the Exhibition’s organizing committee Maya Halfawi stated that the event will present a new vision for tourism.

She stressed that JTTX will be an ideal opportunity for companies and institutions to enhance their business and increase their presence in the growing Saudi market, in line with Vision 2030 goals.

Attracting visitors

The official pointed out that Saudi Arabia is a global tourist destination and a golden opportunity for exhibitors to meet new partners and attract potential customers through various professional marketing tools.

She added that the exhibition identifies the needs and goals of the Saudi market, establishes partnerships in the large travel market, and reaches senior executives and influential decision-makers.

The event is an ideal opportunity for companies and institutions in the travel and tourism industry to enhance their business and increase their presence in the growing Saudi market, she added.

JTTX hosts a wide range of products, making it an annual purchasing destination for travel enthusiasts and an opportunity for exhibitors to present their services and launch new products, attracting greater interest.

Egypt's Deputy Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Ghada Shalaby revealed Cairo's plans to attract 30 million tourists in 2028, noting that about 15 million visitors arrived in the country last year.

Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the exhibition, Shalaby discussed the programs and facilities that Egypt provides to tourists and investors.

She touched on her country's launch of a five-year tourist visa worth $700 through embassies and consulates abroad, adding that Egypt grants electronic visas to 180 nationalities.

In its 12th edition, the Jeddah exhibition provides the opportunity to explore investment possibilities in tourism and provides advice on the latest offers, trends, and strategies to enjoy exceptional travel trips through workshops by specialized experts.

Encouraging domestic tourism

The exhibition is seeking to be a link between the participating parties and the travel market in Saudi Arabia to find new and unique ways of business cooperation by encouraging domestic and foreign tourism.

JTTX presents an opportunity for exhibitors to sustain existing partnerships, forge new collaborations, and attract potential customers by leveraging diverse professional marketing tools.

The current edition will focus on implementing partnerships and contracts between local and global parties participating in the exhibition.

The Kingdom has captured the world’s attention as a leading tourist destination. It is aspiring to attract 150 million visits and 70 million international tourists annually by 2030.

Saudi Arabia is one of the fastest-growing destinations in the world. In 2022, it ranked 13th among tourist destinations, and a year later, it landed the second position globally as the fastest-growing tourist destination.



Saudi Arabia Leads Int’l Efforts to Combat Climate Change, Land Degradation

Officials from the presidencies of the next three editions of the Conference of the Parties. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Officials from the presidencies of the next three editions of the Conference of the Parties. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia Leads Int’l Efforts to Combat Climate Change, Land Degradation

Officials from the presidencies of the next three editions of the Conference of the Parties. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Officials from the presidencies of the next three editions of the Conference of the Parties. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The presidencies of the next three upcoming Conferences of the Parties (COP) — Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan, and Colombia — held a meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York to outline their ambitions regarding the three Rio Conventions.

Additional meetings are scheduled for the last quarter of this year to address the pressing challenges of climate change, desertification, and biodiversity loss.

The Rio Initiative takes its name from the historic agreements made at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It aims to foster cooperation in tackling land degradation, climate change, and biodiversity loss, while boosting international efforts under the United Nations' environmental agreements.

On Sunday, world governments gathered in New York to establish a framework for addressing the threats posed by climate change, desertification, and biodiversity loss. The meeting focused on enhancing cooperation between the upcoming COP presidencies.

The participants included Saudi Arabia, set to lead the 16th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (COP16); Azerbaijan, which will chair the 29th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29); and Colombia, which will head the 16th Conference of the Parties on Biological Diversity (COP16).

Saudi Arabia's presidency of COP16 highlighted the crucial importance of land restoration for the well-being of both people and the planet. It also underscored the devastating economic, social, and environmental impacts of land degradation and drought, which threaten biodiversity and increase greenhouse gas emissions, worsening food and water security challenges.

Dr. Osama Faqeeha, Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Minister of Environment, Water, and Agriculture, and advisor to the COP16 presidency, stated: "Climate change, biodiversity loss, and land degradation are interconnected aspects of the same crisis facing the planet, and they must be addressed in a more integrated and effective manner."

"This year presents a unique opportunity to unite efforts with Azerbaijan and Colombia and rally global support to address these interlinked environmental challenges, which have a destructive impact on the planet and its people," he added.

Colombian Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development Susana Muhamad emphasized the need for a unified agenda to be implemented on the ground. She expressed her readiness to establish a working group to bolster coordination and cooperation.

"The just transition in climate change must reflect interconnected efforts to protect natural ecosystems from degradation and harm," she said, adding: "We have a valuable opportunity to plan land use through a more integrated approach: decarbonization, environmental restoration, and improving human living conditions. COP16 for Biological Diversity is the ideal platform to deepen understanding and action on these efforts."

Mukhtar Babayev, president of COP29 for Climate Change, stressed the importance of "fostering cooperation, enhancing action efficiency, and achieving tangible results that benefit people and the planet by strengthening collaboration across the three Rio agreements."

He continued: "It’s essential to recognize that the goals of these agreements are fundamentally interconnected, and progress in one area can drive advancements in others."

Saudi Arabia called on governments attending the UN General Assembly to take decisive actions during COP16 for the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, which will be held in Riyadh in early December.

The UN Convention to Combat Desertification has set a target of restoring 1.5 billion hectares of degraded land by 2030. In Riyadh, Saudi Arabia's COP16 presidency will push for further concrete commitments to help achieve this goal.

The upcoming COP16 will be the largest and most comprehensive conference in the history of the convention, providing a global platform for collaboration. It will also offer opportunities for the private sector, civil society, and the scientific community to exchange solutions for combating land degradation, desertification, and drought.