Saudi plans $40bn Red Sea coast revamp

SUNNY FORECAST: Saudi Arabia is planning to boost its tourism trade by redeveloping the Red Sea coast. (Getty Images - for illustrative purposes only)

Plans for three new mega tourism projects have been revealed as part of a $40 billion plan to transform the Red Sea coast in Saudi Arabia.

Prince Sultan bin Salman, secretary-general of the General Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (GCTA), said the schemes had been passed to "higher authorities for approval".

His statement followed the approval of a strategic tourism development plan by the Council of Ministers, which aims to boost the kingdom’s tourism sector by making use of its Red Sea coast, reported Arab News on Wednesday.

New resorts will be established in Arrayes in Yanbu, Ras Muhaisen in Makkah province, Haridha in Asir, Fursan in Jizan, and Ras Humaid, Sharma, Qayyal and Dhaffat Al-Wajh in Tabuk, the paper added.

A contract has been signed with an international consultancy firm to prepare a plan for the 1,800km Saudi Red Sea coast as the government aims to increase the tourism industry’s share in the kingdom’s GDP from six to 16 percent by 2020.

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