Speaking in Riyadh on May 14 at the “GREAT Futures” conference, UK Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Lucy Frazer, has commended Saudi Arabia for its ambitious goals in various fields, including culture and creativity, which align with Vision 2030. She emphasised the UK’s commitment to actively participating in the Kingdom’s movements and activities, strengthening the strategic partnership between the two countries. Frazer highlighted the significant progress in Saudi sports and mentioned that many British sports stars will soon compete in the Kingdom.
Frazer, along with Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden, Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan, and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch, emphasized the UK’s commitment to supporting Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 initiative, which includes significant investments in tourism. This vision aims to diversify the kingdom’s economy and attract international visitors. Frazer expressed the UK’s desire to enhance its economy and improve citizens’ quality of life by seizing cooperation opportunities and expanding creative industries with Saudi Arabia.
During her meeting with Saudi Tourism Minister Ahmed Al Khateeb, Frazer discussed the mutual benefits of collaboration. The UK offers expertise in cultural heritage and tourism, while Saudi Arabia provides insights into digital innovations and data-driven destination promotion. This partnership aims to enhance the tourism experience in both countries.
The GREAT Futures Initiative Conference also saw the participation of seven British ministers, and several Saudi ministers, along with 800 participants from the public and private sectors of both countries. The aim of the event was to enhance economic relations between the two sides in various promising sectors and to develop mutual trade and investment.
The two-day conference, held at the King Abdullah Financial District, is one of the initiatives of the Saudi-British Strategic Partnership Council, chaired by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. The conference featured 47 sessions and workshops with 127 speakers from both public and private sectors, covering 13 promising economic sectors, including tourism, culture, education, health, sports, investment, trade, and financial services. Additionally, six agreements were signed in the fields of education and training, tourism, and real estate development.
Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden led a delegation of over 450 British businesses, including major corporations like HSBC and British Airways, aiming to secure lucrative deals and partnerships.
The Deputy Prime Minister said the conference was an important opportunity to build partnerships between the business sectors of both countries, keeping pace with the future, innovation, and creativity. He says it also allows British companies to familiarise themselves with relevant business regulations, incentives, and advantages for conducting business in Saudi Arabia.
VisitBritain and Saudi Tourism Authority sign agreement to boost tourism
During the event, Britain’s national tourism agency, VisitBritain, and the Saudi Tourism Authority signed a Declaration of Intent (on 14 May), outlining areas of cooperation to develop and enhance tourism between the two nations. The agreement was officially signed by VisitBritain CEO Patricia Yates and the CEO of the Saudi Tourism Authority, Fahd Hamidaddin.
The collaboration aims to share knowledge and expertise on both domestic and international tourism.
H.E. Ahmed Al-Khateeb, Minister of Tourism of Saudi Arabia and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Tourism Authority, said: “This agreement offers enormous opportunities for Saudi Arabia and UK to boost tourism and underlines the close relationship between the two countries. We are proud to have hosted more than 165,000 friends from Britain between January and March this year and to have welcomed 100 million visitors in 2023.
“We are developing remarkable projects that celebrate our unique culture and heritage as part of our $800 billion (£640 billion) investment in the Saudi tourism industry, aiming for them to become as iconic as UK attractions like the Tower of London and Stonehenge, and we see limitless potential ahead to welcome visitors from Britain and around the world.”
UK Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said: “Our tourism industry is an integral part of what makes Britain so great, from our breathtaking landscapes and coastlines, to the treasure trove of heritage and culture to be found in our towns, villages and cities – all backed by a brilliant, dedicated workforce.
“We’re committed to helping the sector keep growing from strength to strength and I’m delighted that VisitBritain has signed this agreement so we can share the UK’s invaluable expertise on tourism and gain key insights from our Saudi partners.”
VisitBritain CEO Patricia Yates said: “Visiting the UK is easier than ever for Saudi nationals with the roll-out of the Electronic Travel Authorisation Scheme and we are delighted to sign this Declaration with the Saudi Tourism Authority, collaborating to drive growth from tourism between our countries.
“Working with the Saudi Tourism Authority also builds on our wider engagement in Saudi Arabia, from our ongoing work with the travel trade to sell British destinations to our GREAT Britain marketing campaigns to inspire more Saudis to choose Britain for their next visit. We look forward to working with the Saudi Tourism Authority to boost our competitive tourism offer, bringing the best of Britain to Saudi visitors and harnessing the timely and valuable opportunities for growth.”
VisitBritain also participated in panel and roundtable discussions with Saudi counterparts at GREAT Futures, sharing insights on topics ranging from global tourism promotion to destination development.
To inspire more Saudi visitors to book a trip to Britain, VisitBritain recently rolled out the latest phase of its GREAT Britain marketing campaign in Saudi Arabia. The campaign, ‘Spilling the Tea on GREAT Britain,’ showcases the exciting experiences and destinations across Britain’s countryside, coast, and vibrant cities. It drives consumers to VisitBritain’s new Arabic website, inspiring visitors from the Kingdom to plan their travel to Britain in 2024 and signposts the UK’s Electronic Travel Authorisation Scheme for Saudi nationals.
VisitBritain is also working with partners in the market, including online travel marketplace Wego, to convert interest in visiting Britain into actual bookings.
Saudi Arabia is a crucial visitor market for the UK. VisitBritain’s latest forecast predicts 240,000 visits from Saudi Arabia to the UK this year, up 9% on 2019. Visitors from Saudi Arabia are expected to spend £752 million on their trips to the UK this year, an increase of 20% compared to 2019.
The GREAT Futures conference marks the beginning of a year-long programme of trade, tourism, education, and cultural activities aimed at enhancing UK-Saudi relations. The UK’s creative industries, which accounted for 16% of all UK service exports in 2021, play a crucial role in this initiative. Past successes, such as the two-month run of “Phantom of the Opera” in Saudi Arabia, demonstrate the potential for cultural exchange to boost tourism.
