Saudi Arabia seeks to attract Hong Kong investments for new year-round tourist spot Aseer
‘We want to bring the expertise, the know-how that Hong Kong’s businessmen have and transfer that knowledge to our region,’ Sultan Alshehri says
Saudi Arabia wants to encourage Hong Kong businesses to invest in a province positioned to be a premier tourist destination, an official from the kingdom has said, stressing the financial hub can bring expertise and knowledge to the region.
During his four-day trip to Hong Kong, Sultan Alshehri, chief of investment for the Aseer Region Development Authority, told the Post that “a couple” of businesses he met had expressed interest in investing in Saudi Arabia’s tourism and hospitality industries.
Located about 950km (590 miles) from the Saudi capital, Riyadh, the southwestern province is known for its dense forests, coastline and cooler weather due to its elevation.
Authorities are planning to develop a luxury mountain destination on the kingdom’s highest peak under the Soudah Peaks project.
Aseer, which covers an area of 81,000 sq km, aims to attract about 9.1 million tourists and increase its hotel capacity with 10,000 new rooms by 2030, according to the authority, a government agency coordinating the development of the southwestern region bordering Yemen.
In light of “overtourism” in Europe, the official said his country’s goal of making Aseer a “year-round destination” for tourists would spur plenty of investment opportunities.
