Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the U.S. says a $37 billion deal with Boeing announced in April will create a total of 300,000 jobs, a third of them in the U.S. Princess Reema bint Bandar told workers and officials at Boeing’s Boeing 787 factory in Charleston, South Carolina, on May 5, the deal will establish her country as a leader in international transportation. “The deal will propel Saudi Arabia into a global logistics hub and generate 200,000 direct and indirect jobs and countless opportunities in trade and tourism,” she said. “This historic investment will create around 100,000 direct and indirect jobs in the U.S. across several states.”
Boeing will supply 121 aircraft, 72 of them 787s, to Saudi Arabia’s new airline Riyahd Air. The ambassador said it’s all part of a plan to attract up to $80 billion a year in tourism and other business to the kingdom. “In just a few years, Boeing planes will transport millions of tourists to the Kingdom, and for many of them, this trip may be their first, which would contribute to deepening the relations between our peoples and would also contribute to the rapprochement of our cultures.”
Does the “King” know about bringing in “tourist”? Remember this is the Islamic Holy Land. Not everyone is “welcome”. It will be interesting to see where this really goes.
If I had a choice between being a “tourist ” in Saudi Arabia or being one in say, Greenland (Thule had been a dream visit as my brother use to fly there)….I’d take Greenland any day, even in winter.
At least in Greenland you can have a beer without fear of offending anyone other than the bartender and in walking outside, the worst you may meet is a polar bear and I’d take my chances with the bear.
It is hard for me to imagine in what way Riyadh could be considered a tourist spot for “the masses” given it is a totalitarian regime with strict religious rules outside any “safe zone”. As to attracting business, I would trust that government about as much as I would China, and while the US entered into a 20 year “conflict” with Afghanistan, almost all of the terrorists from 9/11 were Saudi’s including their leader, but then Boeing seems to not care in dealing with blood money.
Precisely.
As a Christian Jew I would be most unwelcome in Saudi Arabia and my life would be in danger there. They don’t even recognize the existence of my spiritual homeland.
I too would take Greenland, 100 times out of 100, even in winter.
Better say one million times out in one million, even in winter, instead an hour “touristing” in Saudi Arabia.
First off, I will believe the 100,000 jobs in America when they actually materialize. More likely a tenth of that. Second, as for “tourism” in Arabia, most of the visitors will be Muslims from around the world making their pilgrimage to the Hajj at Mecca every year. All Muslims are expected to make that pilgrimage at least once during their lifetime. Nothing wrong with that, but I wouldn’t exactly classify it as tourism. Beyond that, most of the infidel visitors to the Kingdom are oil workers and their families that live in the company compounds and aren’t encouraged to venture out, especially females.
Like the rest of you who have posted I agree Saudi Arabia is probably not a “must see” destination for the average American.
Before attacking the business case though, you need to remember they are caretakers of Islam’s holiest places, and the religion has over 2 billion adherents. Israel has a pretty good tourist industry that is based on religion.