Diriyah at ITB Shanghai to boost China tourism links
Diriyah Company, the developer behind Saudi Arabia's ambitious 14-sq-km City of Earth urban project, is strengthening its tourism ties with China this week through a high-profile presence at the ITB Shanghai travel trade show.
The three-day event, which comcludes tomorrow (May 29), will allow Diriyah to engage with leading Chinese travel agencies, airlines and other key stakeholders in China's rapidly growing hospitality sector.
It comes at a time when Chinese visitors to Saudi Arabia are growing rapidly, with a milestone of 140,000 visitors from China to the Kingdom in 2024.
This influx was driven by a simplified online visa process and growing air connectivity. It marks ongoing progress toward the Kingdom's goal of welcoming 5 million Chinese visitors annually by 2030.
ITB Shanghai follows a successful three-day cultural activation that Diriyah Company hosted on a standalone site in the city where over 1,000 people had the opportunity to experience a wide range of Saudi cultural traditions demonstrated by artisans and craftsmen as well as meet the Diriyah team.
Diriyah's Shanghai presence, held at the North Bund International Passenger Center, offered guests a chance to sample traditional Saudi coffee, experience the aroma of rare spices and marvel at the skills demonstrated by traditional weaving workshops.
As the number of Chinese travellers to Saudi Arabia continues to grow, Diriyah is offering the opportunity for tailored experiences, from curated galleries with Chinese-speaking guides to dining in one of the many Saudi and global culinary experiences located in Bujairi Terrace and Zallal.
Authentic hospitality experiences await visitors at the recently opened Bab Samhan, a Luxury Collection hotel, the first of Diriyah's nearly 40 hotels, set in a landscape that celebrates centuries of Saudi history and heritage.
In October last year, Diriyah Company also participated in presenting Saudi heritage and culture to a global audience from a Chinese UNESCO World Heritage Site through its stand at the Visit Saudi pavilion during the 'Saudi Travel Festival' in Beijing, China.
China is also playing a vital role in Diriyah's development with many of its leading construction firms appointed to work on several key projects across the 14 square kilometer development area.
The firms include China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) who are working on the Northern District and Royal Diriyah Opera House; China Harbour Engineering Company is undertaking bulk excavation works and a joint venture between China Railway Construction Corporation (Saudi Branch) and China Railway Construction Group Central Plain Limited for the relocation of a number of King Saud University facilities.
Diriyah stands as a symbol of the growing cultural and economic ties between the two nations and will foster and strengthen even closer links through its presence in Shanghai at ITB and its hugely successful cultural activation.-TradeArabia News Service
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