Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai

Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai
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Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai

Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai

Saudi Arabia, represented by the Tourism Authority, is participating in the 30th edition of the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai, which will run until May 4, aiming to boost the Kingdom's position on the global tourism map and feature its destinations, experiences, products, and investment opportunities.

The Kingdom's pavilion hosts the largest Saudi delegation ever, with 67 partners of the Saudi tourism sector, in addition to more than 500 prime tourism packages and itineraries that are ready for immediate reservations, according to SPA.

The Kingdom's participation in the global tourism forum integrates with its efforts to become an easier and more entertaining travel destination, with increasing demand for bookings along the Red Sea coast and the southern highlands.

Saudi Arabia offers visitors various types of visas, such as the Umrah visa, transit visa, and family visit visa, in addition to making an electronic visa available to residents of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries without requiring specific professions. The on-arrival visa was also made available to citizens of the United States, the United Kingdom, and European Union countries, as well as holders of US, UK and Schengen visas.

Nusuk, the unified national platform for visitors to Makkah and Madinah destinations, is participating in the Saudi pavilion at the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai with more than 20 partners representing the major Umrah companies, organizing trips, and providing services to the Umrah performers.

At the Arabian Travel Market, CEO and board member of the Saudi Tourism Authority Fahd Hamidaddin stated that Saudi Arabia today is the top investor globally in tourism and an ideal destination for major international tourism investors. He added that the number of visitors to the Kingdom who came for tourism, Umrah, and business purposes in the first quarter of this year exceeded what was achieved in the same period last year.

Saudi tourism has recorded an accelerated growth that reached 121% compared to the growth rates of international tourism in the pre-pandemic period, as the Kingdom achieved 93.5 million visits in 2022.

Today, the Kingdom is the largest investor in tourism in the world, by allocating more than $550 billion to major projects and new destinations to be inaugurated by 2030.



Musk’s Hand Gesture During Trump Inauguration Festivities Draws Scrutiny 

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk gestures during a rally on the inauguration day of US President Donald Trump's second Presidential term, inside Capital One, in Washington, US, January 20, 2025. (Reuters)
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk gestures during a rally on the inauguration day of US President Donald Trump's second Presidential term, inside Capital One, in Washington, US, January 20, 2025. (Reuters)
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Musk’s Hand Gesture During Trump Inauguration Festivities Draws Scrutiny 

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk gestures during a rally on the inauguration day of US President Donald Trump's second Presidential term, inside Capital One, in Washington, US, January 20, 2025. (Reuters)
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk gestures during a rally on the inauguration day of US President Donald Trump's second Presidential term, inside Capital One, in Washington, US, January 20, 2025. (Reuters)

Billionaire Elon Musk's hand gesture while he spoke during a celebration of President Donald Trump's inauguration drew online comparisons to a Nazi salute on Monday, but a leading tracker of antisemitism said it appeared to represent a moment of enthusiasm instead.

Musk dismissed criticism of the hand gesture as a "tired" attack.

Musk took to the Capital One Arena stage in Washington to huge cheers, pumping his arms and shouting, "Yesssss."

"This was no ordinary victory. This was a fork in the road of human civilization," he said. "This one really mattered. Thank you for making it happen! Thank you," he said.

Biting his bottom lip, he thumped his right hand over his heart, fingers spread wide, then extended his right arm out, emphatically, at an upward angle, palm down and fingers together. Then he turned and made the same hand gesture to the crowd behind him.

"My heart goes out to you. It is thanks to you that the future of civilization is assured," he said as he finished the gesture.

The gestures were quickly scrutinized online.

"Did Elon Musk Sieg Heil at Trump's inauguration?" asked the Jerusalem Post.

The Anti-Defamation League, which tracks antisemitism, disagreed.

"It seems that @elonmusk made an awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm, not a Nazi salute, but again, we appreciate that people are on edge," it posted on Monday.

"Frankly, they need better dirty tricks. The 'everyone is Hitler' attack is sooo tired," Musk said on his social media platform X late on Monday.

Soon after his speech, Musk posted a Fox video clip of portions of his speech on X, that cut away from the podium when he made the first gesture while facing the cameras. "The future is so exciting," he wrote above it.

A spokesperson for Trump did not immediately reply to requests for comment.

Some X users came to Musk's defense, claiming that Musk was expressing "my heart goes out to you" and criticizing posts that suggested otherwise.

Musk has backed the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), an anti-immigration, anti-Islamic party labeled as right-wing-extremist by German security services, in an upcoming national election. He hosted a broadcast with the party's leader on his social media platform earlier this month.