Saudi Arabia’s tourism industry got ink in the FinancialTimes, with an inside look at Jeddah’s Al Balad historical district and Turtle Bay beach, the St. Regis Red Sea Resort at the Red Sea Project, and AlUla’s ancient ruins and hospitality industry. The piece also dives into Saudi Arabia’s efforts to build a tourism destination profile and compete with more established tourist destinations like the Maldives and the Caribbean.

The salmon-colored paper highlighted long-term plans that will see the Kingdom spend nearly USD 1 tn to develop the sector over the next decade, including 50 hotels on 22 islands and six inland sites at the Red Sea Project by 2030. The tourism sector accounted for 5% of GDP at the end of last year, with the government targeting to pump it to 10% by 2030, backed by USD 500 bn in sustainable tourism projects such as AlUla and the Red Sea.

While some traditional customs, like the ban on live music, are being relaxed, the resorts remain a dry spot when it comes to alcohol. “We’re doing pretty well without it at the moment,” a senior official told the FT. The prevailing view among developers is that lifting the liquor ban is not a requirement to attract tourism, as it gives visitors a taste of Saudi cultural heritage.

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