RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector is expected to get a further boost, with Kazakhstan’s Air Astana opening ticket sales for a new direct flight from Almaty to Jeddah. This direct flight service between the Saudi port city and Kazakhstan’s largest metropolis will commence from Oct. 1, with initial services operating on Wednesdays and Sundays, the airline said in a press release. “Saudi Arabia has a rich and diverse cultural heritage, which will be interesting not only for the pilgrimage of Muslims to the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah but also for tourists looking to visit cultural, historical and natural sites on the Red Sea,” said Adel Dauletbek, vice president of marketing and sales at Air Astana, in a statement. The press statement noted that the direct flight would depart Almaty at 4:40 p.m. Saudi time and arrive in Jeddah at 8:30 p.m. On return, the flights will depart Jeddah at 9:30 p.m. and reach Almaty at 6:15 a.m. It added that the flights will be six hours 50 minutes outbound and five hours 45 minutes inbound to Almaty. “Passengers traveling to Jeddah are offered convenient connections from other cities in Kazakhstan, as well as from Tashkent, Dushanbe and Bishkek. We also expect tourists from Saudi Arabia to explore the natural beauty of Kazakhstan,” added Dauletbek. The airline said the fare for a round-trip economy ticket starts from $734 and a business ticket from $1,584. In line with its goals outlined in Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia aims to become a global tourist destination by the end of this decade. The Kingdom’s National Tourism Strategy aims to attract 100 million visitors by 2030, along with increasing the tourism sector’s contribution to the gross domestic product in the Kingdom to over 10 percent. The Saudi aviation sector has been witnessing rapid growth in recent years, as business travel and tourism spurred the attention of the global audience, leading to increasing air connectivity. Earlier this month, Saudi Arabia’s national flag carrier Saudia launched a direct flight between Jeddah and Birmingham. With the new route, the airline will operate three weekly flights between the two destinations.