Red Sea Authority Sets Goal to Attract 19 Million Tourists to Coast by 2030

SRSA aims to develop a thriving coastal tourism sector in the Red Sea, contributing approximately SAR85 billion to the GDP by 2030. - Photo by SPA
SRSA aims to develop a thriving coastal tourism sector in the Red Sea, contributing approximately SAR85 billion to the GDP by 2030. - Photo by SPA
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Red Sea Authority Sets Goal to Attract 19 Million Tourists to Coast by 2030

SRSA aims to develop a thriving coastal tourism sector in the Red Sea, contributing approximately SAR85 billion to the GDP by 2030. - Photo by SPA
SRSA aims to develop a thriving coastal tourism sector in the Red Sea, contributing approximately SAR85 billion to the GDP by 2030. - Photo by SPA

The Saudi Red Sea Authority (SRSA), in collaboration with the Ministry of Investment, released on Tuesday a report titled "Invest in Coastal Tourism," highlighting the crucial role of coastal tourism in driving the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 to attract 19 million tourists to the Red Sea coast.
The report outlines the sector’s contributions to diversifying the national economy, attracting investments, generating new income sources, and creating employment opportunities.

It further emphasizes the importance of protecting the marine environment to ensure its sustainability for future generations, SPA reported.
SRSA aims to develop a thriving coastal tourism sector in the Red Sea, contributing approximately SAR85 billion to the GDP by 2030. The goals include capturing 30 percent of the Kingdom’s leisure tourism and 40 percent of total entertainment spending, attracting 19 million tourists, and generating more than 210,000 jobs. This effort aligns with SRSA’s mandates, which include encouraging investment in navigational and marine tourism activities while offering administrative, technical, and advisory support to all investors, particularly small and medium enterprises. It aims to promote these activities to enhance the coastal tourism sector and position the Red Sea as a compelling global destination.
In line with its recent initiatives, SRSA is dedicated to providing a unique experience for tourists in the Red Sea, fostering an attractive investment environment, setting model infrastructure standards, and creating prestigious coastal tourism destinations. It aims to achieve sustainable tourism and effective governance within the coastal tourism system.



UAE Cabinet Approves 12% Spending Increase in 2025 Budget

A general view of Abu Dhabi, UAE. (WAM)
A general view of Abu Dhabi, UAE. (WAM)
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UAE Cabinet Approves 12% Spending Increase in 2025 Budget

A general view of Abu Dhabi, UAE. (WAM)
A general view of Abu Dhabi, UAE. (WAM)

The United Arab Emirates' cabinet has approved a balanced budget for the 2025 fiscal year with expenditures rising to 71.5 billion dirhams ($19.47 billion), state news agency WAM said in a statement on Tuesday.

The Gulf state, one of the world's top oil exporters, projects an increase in spending of almost 12% next year from 2024 estimates, but still expects a balanced budget in 2025, since revenue is also budgeted at 71.5 billion dirhams, according to the statement.

The approved annual budget is part of the UAE's multi-year financial plan for the years 2022-2026. The country approved a$52.3 billion budget for 2024-26 last October.

The UAE is a federation of seven emirates, all of which can set individual budgets, in addition to a federal budget. A large focus of the federal budget is on social and welfare spending.

Almost 40% of the 2025 budget will be allocated to social development and pensions, with education accounting for the majority of spending in that sector, followed by healthcare.

More than 35% of the spending is for government affairs, with much smaller allocations for the Infrastructure and Economic Affairs sector and for the Financial Investments sector, the statement said.