ABU DHABI TOURISM DELEGATION TO ATTEND RIYADH TRAVEL FAIR AND PROMOTIONAL ROADSHOW ACROSS SAUDI ARABIA TCA Abu Dhabi to visit Riyadh, Jeddah and Al Khobar Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has a special position within Abu Dhabi’s tourism plans

Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) is attending Saudi Arabia’s largest travel trade event in Riyadh this week ahead of a promotional tour across the kingdom to boost inbound visitor numbers, in a move to strengthen existing cooperation with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).

TCA Abu Dhabi, which is a strategic partner of the Riyadh Travel Fair, is being joined by Etihad Airways – the UAE’s national airline – along with hotels and tour operators at the annual event running from 7^th-10^th April. The four-day event will have more than 250 exhibitors representing 50 countries and is expected to welcome more than 30,000 visitors.

Following the trade fair, the delegation will embark on a roadshow showcasing the emirate’s diverse destinations and attractions from 11^th – 13^th April which will take in Riyadh and also Jeddah and Al Khobar.

In 2016 our guest arrivals increased by 9% on the previous year to 146,747, making Saudi Arabia our sixth largest international source market. These guests provided 350,572 guest nights, which was an increase of 13% over 2015 and they also stayed in the emirate for longer.

There are currently 113 flights a week between various cities in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi providing excellent air connectivity for business visitors and tourists. Etihad Airways operates 70 flights from Riyadh, Jeddah, Damman and Madinah to Abu Dhabi with Saudi Airlines and Nas Air providing a further 43 flights a week.

Year after year, we have seen consistent growth in the number of participants, exhibitors and attendees. With Saudi nationals increasingly travelling both domestically and overseas, the opportunities that the Riyadh Travel Fair provides for domestic and overseas destinations, hospitality service providers and other tourism related businesses, to directly meet with the kingdom’s leading travel professionals and travellers have never been more significant.

Earlier this year, TCA Abu Dhabi participated in the 31^st Al Janadriyah Festival for Heritage & Culture in Riyadh to highlight the deep cultural and historical ties between the UAE and Saudi Arabia and to help build awareness of the emirate’s attractions for Saudi visitors.