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Interior Ministry Issues Special Stamp to Commemorate Saudi Crew’s Mission to ISS

Saudis watch the Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2) launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 and Dragon capsule, carrying four astronauts, two of whom are Saudi nationals, to the International Space Station, from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, US, in an event organized to celebrate the first Saudi woman into Space in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia May 22, 2023. (Reuters)
Saudis watch the Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2) launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 and Dragon capsule, carrying four astronauts, two of whom are Saudi nationals, to the International Space Station, from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, US, in an event organized to celebrate the first Saudi woman into Space in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia May 22, 2023. (Reuters)
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Interior Ministry Issues Special Stamp to Commemorate Saudi Crew’s Mission to ISS

Saudis watch the Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2) launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 and Dragon capsule, carrying four astronauts, two of whom are Saudi nationals, to the International Space Station, from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, US, in an event organized to celebrate the first Saudi woman into Space in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia May 22, 2023. (Reuters)
Saudis watch the Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2) launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 and Dragon capsule, carrying four astronauts, two of whom are Saudi nationals, to the International Space Station, from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, US, in an event organized to celebrate the first Saudi woman into Space in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia May 22, 2023. (Reuters)

The Saudi General Directorate of Passports issued a special stamp in commemoration of the launch of the Saudi astronauts’ mission to the International Space Station, reported the Saudi Press Agency on Monday.

The stamp, "Saudi Arabia Toward Space", was issued in cooperation with the Saudi Space Commission.

It will be made available to travelers at Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International Airport, Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport, and Dammam’s King Fahd International Airport.

The Saudi Space Commission launched the "Saudi Arabia Toward Space" campaign to boost the Kingdom's global position in the field of space, its contribution to international space activities, and promote its efforts to achieve the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.

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Spain Set for Record Tourist Numbers in 2024 after First-Half Jump

FILE PHOTO: Tourists and residents drink on a street in Gracia neighborhood during a heatwave of the summer, in Barcelona, Spain August 19, 2023. REUTERS/Bruna Casas//File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Tourists and residents drink on a street in Gracia neighborhood during a heatwave of the summer, in Barcelona, Spain August 19, 2023. REUTERS/Bruna Casas//File Photo
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Spain Set for Record Tourist Numbers in 2024 after First-Half Jump

FILE PHOTO: Tourists and residents drink on a street in Gracia neighborhood during a heatwave of the summer, in Barcelona, Spain August 19, 2023. REUTERS/Bruna Casas//File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Tourists and residents drink on a street in Gracia neighborhood during a heatwave of the summer, in Barcelona, Spain August 19, 2023. REUTERS/Bruna Casas//File Photo

The number of foreign tourists in Spain jumped 13% in the first-half of 2024, putting the country on track for another record year for visitor numbers despite growing discontent over the impact of the holiday industry in some tourist hotspots.
For the six months to the end of June, 42.5 million international visitors arrived in Spain, with the month of June alone recording a 12% rise to 9 million as the busier summer period picks up, Spain's data agency INE reported on Friday.
That means 2024 is shaping up to be another record year for Spain, already the world's second most visited country behind France, making it likely it will beat last year's high of 85 million tourists, when numbers exceeded pre-pandemic levels, said Reuters.
But for some Spaniards in the most popular destinations including Mallorca, Barcelona and the Canary Islands, there is increasing unease about the influx of tourists and their impact on housing costs and locals have staged protests.
Earlier in July, a small group of anti-tourism campaigners in Barcelona squirted water pistols at foreign visitors, chanting "tourists go home", a demonstration that created headlines around the world.
Data showed that tourists spent 12.3 billion euros in Spain in June, 17% more than the same month last year, helping drive economic growth, but highlighting the challenge for a government trying to find the right balance between tourism and local interests.
A lack of affordable housing in Spain has been partly blamed on a boom in holiday lets on platforms such as Airbnb and Booking.com.
According to the data released on Friday, tourists are increasingly opting to stay in rented apartments. The number of visitors in the first-half of the year staying in that type of accommodation was up 30%, while those staying in hotels was up 11%.