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.



Dollar Set to End Week on a High on US Rates, Economic Outlook

A teller sorts US dollar banknotes inside the cashier's booth at a forex exchange bureau in downtown Nairobi, Kenya February 16, 2024. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya/File photo
A teller sorts US dollar banknotes inside the cashier's booth at a forex exchange bureau in downtown Nairobi, Kenya February 16, 2024. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya/File photo
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Dollar Set to End Week on a High on US Rates, Economic Outlook

A teller sorts US dollar banknotes inside the cashier's booth at a forex exchange bureau in downtown Nairobi, Kenya February 16, 2024. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya/File photo
A teller sorts US dollar banknotes inside the cashier's booth at a forex exchange bureau in downtown Nairobi, Kenya February 16, 2024. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya/File photo

The dollar was on track for its strongest weekly performance since early December on Friday, propped up by expectations that the US economy will continue to outperform its peers globally this year and US interest rates will stay elevated for longer.

The greenback began the new year on a strong note, reaching a more than two-year high of 109.54 against a basket of currencies on Thursday as it extended a stellar rally from last year. A more hawkish Fed and a resilient US economy have led US Treasury yields to rise, prompting the dollar to charge higher.

Coupled with expectations that policies by US President-elect Donald Trump will boost growth this year and potentially add to price pressures, the dollar now looks relentless.

"Looks like dollar strength is here to stay for now in early 2025 given the US exceptionalism story is here to stay, and it still comes with high US yields," said Charu Chanana, chief investment strategist at Saxo, Reuters reported.

"Add to that the uncertainty from policies of the incoming (Donald) Trump administration, and you also get the safety aspect of the dollar looking attractive." Uncertainties over how Trump's plans for hefty import tariffs, tax cuts and immigration restrictions will affect global markets has in turn given the greenback additional safe haven support. Jobless claims data on Thursday confirmed a resilient US labor market, with the number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment benefits dropping to an eight-month low last week. The dollar index last stood at 109, down 0.2% on the day, but on track for a weekly gain of just under 1%, its strongest since early December.

Other currencies attempted to rebound against the firm dollar on Friday, still tracking steep losses on the week. The euro was last up 0.28% at $1.02950 but was headed for a 1.3% weekly decline, its worst since November.

The common currency was among the biggest losers against a towering dollar, having tumbled 0.86% in the previous session to a more than two-year low of $1.022475.

Traders are pricing in more than 100 basis points worth of rate cuts from the European Central Bank next year, while they expect just about 45 bps of easing from the Fed.

Uncertainties around trade policies of the incoming Trump administration are also weighing on the outlook for the euro looking ahead, along with China's yuan and some other emerging market currencies.

"We expect Trump's policy mix to trigger further dollar strengthening, with European currencies – and the euro in particular – coming under pressure from protectionism and monetary easing," said ING analysts in a note. Similarly, sterling ticked up 0.22% to $1.24065, after sliding 1.16% on Thursday. It was on track to lose roughly 1.4% for the week. Elsewhere, the yen rose around 0.24% to 157.085 per dollar, but was not far from an over five-month low of 158.09 per dollar hit in December. The Japanese currency has been a victim of the stark interest rate differential between the US and Japan for over two years now, with the Bank of Japan's caution over further rate increases spelling more pain for the yen.

The yen tumbled more than 10% in 2024, extending its losses into a fourth straight year. China's onshore yuan hit its weakest level in over a year at 7.3190 per dollar, as falling yields and expectations of more domestic rate cuts continued to weigh on the currency.