Saudi Arabia seeks more Chinese tourists: tourism minister

Saudi Arabia will further unlock its tourist sector to attract more Chinese tourists to visit, Saudi Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb said in Spain on Monday, adding that the Chinese market is extremely important.

Al-Khateeb is chairing the 121st session of the Executive Council of the United Nations World Tourism Organization held in Barcelona, Spain, from Monday to Tuesday.

In an interview with China Global Television Network via video link, Al-Khateeb highlighted the measures his country has taken to facilitate Chinese people's travel to Saudi, including establishing travel agencies in China and launching more direct flights.

"We decided to unlock the tourism sector - a part of Vision 2030, and China is one of the most important markets for us because China exports the highest number of tourists globally, and therefore, the Chinese market is extremely important for us. We established an office for Visit Saudi in China and we have just signed with and start to fly the Chinese Eastern and Southern Airlines from Shanghai and Beijing - direct flights to Riyadh. And we are promoting Visit Saudi. You want to enjoy the Red Sea, the beach, and the sun and sea, or learn about the Saudi and the Arabian culture in the big cities and visit the different UNESCO-listed sites. For us, the Chinese tourists are very, very important," said the minister.

He also underscored the growth potential of tourist arrivals from China as well as the convenience of the e-visa system.

"We have less than a million visitors from China last year. And we want to grow this number because more than 100 million tourists travel from China to visit different countries around the world every year. We want to have a fair market share of 2 to 3 percent, which is 3 to 4 million Chinese visiting Saudi Arabia and to learn about our culture again. For us, China is very important. China was among the first countries to have the e-visa, and three to five minutes, get a visa to visit Saudi Arabia and enjoy the different Saudi cities," said the minister.

The year 2026 will be remembered as the year of Chinese brand, said Gregorio Lavilla, executive director of WorldSBK, after French racer Valentin Debise riding China's ZXMOTO claimed victory in Race 1 of the FIM Supersport World Championship at the Czech Round on Saturday.

"I think the success of this year is something really historical that maybe when we are in the future and looking back, we will remember 2026 as probably one of the key moments in the sport where the Chinese manufacturers really become a position into the world. I think, talking about our championship, for us, I think 2026 will be remembered as the year of Chinese brand, [which] has won the first race and is now a title contender," said Lavilla.