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Al-Hogail at the Retail Leaders Circle MENA Summit: The Sector Represents 23% of Non-Oil Output

Minister of Municipal, Rural Affairs and Housing speaking during the Retail Leaders Circle MENA Summit in Riyadh. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Minister of Municipal, Rural Affairs and Housing speaking during the Retail Leaders Circle MENA Summit in Riyadh. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Al-Hogail at the Retail Leaders Circle MENA Summit: The Sector Represents 23% of Non-Oil Output

Minister of Municipal, Rural Affairs and Housing speaking during the Retail Leaders Circle MENA Summit in Riyadh. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Minister of Municipal, Rural Affairs and Housing speaking during the Retail Leaders Circle MENA Summit in Riyadh. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Minister of Municipal, Rural Affairs and Housing, Majed Al-Hogail, said that the retail sector currently constitutes 23 percent of the non-oil GDP in the Kingdom and is expected to grow to more than SAR 460 billion ($122.6 billion) by the end of 2024.
Speaking during the 10th edition of the Retail Leaders Circle MENA Summit in Riyadh, Al-Hogail noted that the total number of active commercial licenses for the sector exceeded 400,000 licenses from 2019 until the end of 2023, as efforts to stimulate the sector resulted in the issuance of no less than 70,000 annual licenses, recording a steady growth of about 6 percent.
The minister emphasized that the Kingdom has worked to develop many legislations supporting the retail sector, with the aim to regulate its operation, sustainability and effectiveness, in addition to finding solutions, services and facilitations that encourage investors and help them overcome obstacles.
“We have made important steps towards developing the sector by enacting and introducing the necessary legislation, regulations and requirements for integration and partnership with the private sector... We have held many meetings and workshops with chambers of commerce in all regions,” with the aim of raising the standards of commercial and investment activities, updating licensing and oversight regulations and enhancing the principle of transparency in legislation and procedures,” Al-Hogail told the attendees.
He also pointed to continued efforts in cooperation with relevant authorities to build capabilities and develop skills according to the needs of the current labor market, as well as anticipating future requirements to empower the local workforce in the sector.
Al-Hogail stated that the retail sector contributes 23 percent to the non-oil GDP in the Kingdom, while the average occupancy rates of the sector in Riyadh and Jeddah reached 88 percent during 2023.
For his part, the General Supervisor of the Licensing and Compliance Agency at the Ministry of Municipal, Rural Affairs and Housing Affairs, Mohammad Al-Melhem, told Asharq Al-Awsat that as of the beginning of 2023, the ministry has worked to review all legislation related to business requirements, in cooperation with the private sector.
“Today, this qualitative change brought about by the Ministry, which will see the light at the beginning of the second quarter of 2024, will result in a major shift in terms of clarity of requirements and procedures,” he said.

 

 

 

 

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Fire, Smoke Upend Western Canada’s Summer Tourism Season

A helicopter works a forest fire outside of Jasper, Alberta, Canada, on Friday July 26, 2024. (Reuters)
A helicopter works a forest fire outside of Jasper, Alberta, Canada, on Friday July 26, 2024. (Reuters)
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Fire, Smoke Upend Western Canada’s Summer Tourism Season

A helicopter works a forest fire outside of Jasper, Alberta, Canada, on Friday July 26, 2024. (Reuters)
A helicopter works a forest fire outside of Jasper, Alberta, Canada, on Friday July 26, 2024. (Reuters)

Severe wildfire seasons are increasingly hurting western Canada's lucrative tourism industry, with some visitors beginning to avoid the busy late-summer months due to concerns about uncontrolled blazes, smoke-filled skies and road closures.

After a scorching start to July, nearly 600 wildfires are now ablaze across British Columbia and Alberta, including a huge fire that this week devastated the picturesque tourist town of Jasper in the Canadian Rockies.

Dozens of communities, including popular holiday spots in British Columbia's Kootenay region, are under evacuation orders and several highways are closed.

This year's surge in wildfire activity comes after Canada endured its worst-ever year for wildfires in 2023, when more than 15 million hectares (37 million acres) burned, including parts of the city of West Kelowna in the heart of British Columbia's wine region.

Ellen Walker-Matthews, head of the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association, said the industry was seeing a lot more last-minute travel decisions instead of booking in advance.

"It's a huge blow. July and August are traditionally the busiest months in the region," said Walker-Matthews, adding that while her region has been relatively unscathed by wildfires this summer, some visitors are choosing to avoid interior British Columbia altogether.

The members of the British Columbia Lodging and Campgrounds Association are reporting a 5-15% drop in bookings from a year ago, with the biggest declines coming from the hotter Okanagan and Cariboo regions, said Joss Penny, who heads the association.

"The concern is that this is something we have to live with and we have it every year now," said Penny.

Although wildfires in Canada's forests are natural and common, scientists say drier, hotter conditions fueled by climate change are leading to more volatile and frequent blazes.

'SMOKEY SKIES'

Some events, like the Salmon Arm Roots and Blues Festival, usually held in August, have now been rescheduled to earlier in the summer to avoid what is now seen as peak smoke season. The festival, which was cancelled last year due to nearby wildfires, was this year moved to July to benefit from "less smokey skies."

Wildfires and extreme climatic events are prompting tourists to "change their plans not just temporarily, but permanently," said Elizabeth Halpenny, a tourism researcher and professor at the University of Alberta, noting that seasonal workers in the sector are often the hardest hit as they have few protections during a bad season or amid a cataclysmic fire.

Tourism contributed C$7.2 billion to the British Columbia economy in 2022, and C$9.9 billion to Alberta in 2023, according to the latest government data.

Jasper National Park is one of Canada's premier tourist destinations, with more than 2 million visitors a year flocking to see its pristine mountain landscapes and abundant wildlife, including grizzly bears, moose and elk.

Kelly Torrens, vice-president of product at international tour company Kensington Tours, described western Canada as a bucket-list destination. But the company now has 49 trips that were supposed to pass through Jasper this season in limbo. Six others were forced to evacuate the park when the fire hit.

Parks Canada has cancelled all camping reservations within Jasper National Park until Aug. 6 and with potentially 50% of the town's structures destroyed by fire, the cleanup and rebuild could take years.

Halpenny is among those hedging their bets.

"I've booked a campsite stay in the mountain parks but at the same time, I booked a campsite out on the prairie somewhere and that's my backup plan because I don't want to miss out on my vacation with my family."