RIYADH: The completion of the Red Sea Project will enable Saudi Arabia to compete in the global tourism arena and showcase the robust partnership between the Kingdom"s public and private sectors, according to the Minister of Tourism. Speaking at a meeting with investors and business owners in the Chamber of Commerce in Makkah, Minister Ahmed Al-Khatib said Saudi Arabia provides services to 1.8 million Muslims in Makkah and Madinah – a market which is dedicated to the Kingdom. But Saudi Arabia will compete with 100 international tourist destinations once its luxury and sustainable hospitality destination Red Sea Project becomes operational, he said, adding that things are progressing thanks to the government working with private sector partnership. This comes as the Kingdom established numerous projects to provide services, enhance tourism, and craft regulations for the private sector since the launch of its tourism strategy in 2019. The Red Sea Project is the Kingdom’s giga-project which, according to Vision 2030’s official website, is “the world"s most ambitious and exciting tourism and hospitality project: a luxury destination created around one of the world"s last hidden natural treasures.” Al-Khatib added that the ministry has implemented the Air Connectivity Program — on which it spent over SR30 million ($8 million) last year — to facilitate transport into and out of the Kingdom. The ACP aims to connect cities directly with Jeddah and Riyadh, in addition to connecting over 22 destinations through direct flights. During the meeting, which was attended by Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, Minister of Hajj and Umrah, and Princess Haifa bin Saud, Deputy Minister of Tourism, Al-Khatib stressed the importance of the public-private sector partnership and its impact on developing the tourism sector and increasing its contribution to the economy. Talking about some of the other tourism efforts, the minister said that Saudi Arabia recently launched transit visa, an electronic service that will allow passengers stopping over in the Kingdom to obtain an entry visa. The transit visa for stopovers allows entry to Saudi Arabia for people in transit who wish to perform Umrah, visit the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah, and tour the Kingdom. The stopover visa will allow passengers to stay in the country for up to 96 hours, enabling more visitors than ever to explore Saudi’s historical, cultural, and spiritual sites. Abdullah Saleh Kamel, chairman of the Makkah Chamber of Commerce and president of the Islamic Chamber of Commerce, spoke about the challenges the tourism sector faces as well as the solutions for those. He added that Makkah is currently undergoing a number of development projects, such as the Makkah Buses project, which within a year of its trial launch attracted 25 million passengers. The Haramain Express Train alone accommodated 2 million pilgrims annually and an aggregate of 19 million pilgrims. Kamel added that five of the major projects in the city will provide 108,000 hotel rooms with investments estimated at SR170 billion. All these services are expected to contribute to overcoming obstacles and meet the increasing demand in Saudi Arabia, added Kamel.