Al-Ahsa is the largest governorate in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, putting it in the same region as Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. It was named for the Al-Ahsa Oasis, an area well regarded for its date palms. There is a great deal of culture and history in this part of the world, yet it's quite likely you've never heard of it. Well, the Government of Saudi Arabia wants to change that and they are definitely putting the money in to make it happen.
It was recently announced that Saudi Arabia will be investing approximately $933 million USD in tourism projects in Al-Ahsa. This will include 17 major projects directed at turning Al-Ahsa into one of the Kingdom's top tourism destinations. The goal is not only to build up the infrastructure but also to promote the governorate to the world in the hopes of attracting new visitors.
A major focus of this ongoing project will be increasing the number of hotel rooms available in the region by a substantial amount. Reputedly, this has been a barrier to increasing Al-Ahsa's tourism in the past, making it a key part of this new strategy. Luxurious destination hotels will be established as well as upgrades to current accommodation options, much of which will be supported and facilitated through the Tourism Development Fund.
Targeting a completion date in 2025, these improvements will likely transform Al-Ahsa into a new tourism hub within Saudi Arabia and beyond. Additionally, it will provide a huge boost to the local economy, both in the construction of new hotels and destinations as well as ongoing tourism-related jobs. Saudi Arabia is a country that consistently dreams big and plays bigger, so it will be interesting to see what the future of tourism in the Al-Ahsa region ends up looking like over the next decade.