mobanmarketRiyadh: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman opened Jeddah airport’s new terminal on Tuesday, state media said, part of a push to increase foreign visitors to the kingdom and diversify its oil-based economy.
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Jeddah is the main airport where pilgrims arrive before travelling on to Mecca to perform Haj and the Umrah, the year-round lesser pilgrimage.
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The inauguration of the new Terminal 1 of King Abdul Aziz International Airport brings the facility to 810,000 square metres with the capacity to handle 30 million passengers annually, state news agency SPA said.
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The airport operates flights to three international destinations and 21 domestic ones.
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Economic reforms pushed by Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman aim to make the country an entertainment destination and a tourism hub. They are also trying to lift domestic and foreign tourism spending to $46.6 billion in 2020 from $27.9 billion in 2015, when the reform plan was announced.
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Pilgrims comprise the bulk of Saudi Arabia’s 20 million annual foreign visitors, apart from workers and business travellers.
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Officials aim to increase the number of Umrah and Haj pilgrims to 15 million and 5 million respectively by 2020, and hope to double the umrah number again to 30 million by 2030.
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The government has approved plans to issue electronic visas for foreign visitors to attend sporting events and concerts, and is expected to announce details this month.
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