Saudi Tourism Ministry Announces 99% Growth in Tourism Hospitality Licenses

The Saudi Ministry of Tourism logo
The Saudi Ministry of Tourism logo
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Saudi Tourism Ministry Announces 99% Growth in Tourism Hospitality Licenses

The Saudi Ministry of Tourism logo
The Saudi Ministry of Tourism logo

The Ministry of Tourism announced that the number of tourism hospitality facilities licensed to operate across Saudi Arabia has increased to more than 3,950 by the end of the third quarter (Q3) of 2024, recording a growth rate of 99% compared to the same period last year.

The ministry said that the number of licensed rooms reached over 443,000 by the end of Q3 of 2024. This represents a growth rate of 107% compared to the same period of Q3 2023, where the number of rooms was more than 214,000. The number of licensed hospitality facilities in Q3 2023 was about 2,000.

The significant growth in the number of tourism hospitality licenses is the result of the efforts exerted by the Ministry to empower operators and investors in the hospitality sector to obtain licenses. This includes providing facilities with operating fees reduced by up to 22%.

In addition, the Ministry has contributed to a decision exempting hospitality facilities from municipal fees as part of the Ministry's keenness to ensure the upgrading of services provided by hospitality facilities to international and domestic tourists.

During its "Our Guests Are Our Priority" campaign, the Tourism Ministry invited all beneficiaries of hospitality facility services to submit their inquiries and comments about the services provided to them by contacting the unified tourism center at 930.



French People Need to Work More to Boost Growth, Minister Says

French Minister for the Economy, Finance and Industry Antoine Armand arrives to attend a governmental seminar at the Hotel Matignon in Paris, on November 4, 2024. (AFP)
French Minister for the Economy, Finance and Industry Antoine Armand arrives to attend a governmental seminar at the Hotel Matignon in Paris, on November 4, 2024. (AFP)
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French People Need to Work More to Boost Growth, Minister Says

French Minister for the Economy, Finance and Industry Antoine Armand arrives to attend a governmental seminar at the Hotel Matignon in Paris, on November 4, 2024. (AFP)
French Minister for the Economy, Finance and Industry Antoine Armand arrives to attend a governmental seminar at the Hotel Matignon in Paris, on November 4, 2024. (AFP)

People in France must work more, Finance Minister Antoine Armand said on Monday, adding that the fact that French people worked less than their counterparts in Europe was harming the economy due to lower tax contributions and social security payments.

The government is examining reforms to speed up its sluggish economic growth, although changes to work practices are often opposed by trade unions.

"On average, a French person works clearly less than his neighbors, over the course of a year," Armand told C News TV.

"The consequence of this is fewer social security payments, less money to finance our social models, fewer tax receipts and ultimately fewer jobs and less economic growth."

France, the euro zone's second biggest economy, wants to cut its public deficit to a targeted 5% of GDP by 2025.

The country's 35-hour work week, introduced in 2000, has typically been fiercely defended by trade unions, while reforms to France's pension system have also faced widespread protests.

"Let's all work a bit more, collectively speaking, starting off by making sure that everyone respects the working hours that they have been given, in all sectors," Armand said.