Saudi Arabia wishes to promote investment cooperation and enhance tourism connections with Vietnam.

On November 12, in Saudi Arabia, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ho An Phong led a Vietnamese delegation to have a working session with Mr. Meshal Hamid Al-Hassaan - Vice Chairman of the Saudi Arabia - Vietnam Business Council. Also attending were Vietnamese Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Hoang Huu Anh; Deputy Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism Phan Linh Chi.

Overview of the working session

At the meeting, Mr. Meshal Hamid Al-Hassaan - Vice Chairman of the Saudi Arabia - Vietnam Business Council expressed his pleasure to meet Deputy Minister Ho An Phong and the Vietnamese delegation. He emphasized that in recent times, the relationship between Saudi Arabia and Vietnam has developed very well, nurtured through many practical cooperation activities. At the same time, he wished to continue to strengthen and expand cooperation with Vietnamese partners in the coming time.

Sharing about the key areas that Saudi Arabia is interested in, he said that the Council is investing heavily in tourism , hotels and real estate. Currently, three large hotels are being developed, with the management participation of international corporations such as Hilton and Accor. In addition, a number of real estate and energy projects such as the construction of a gas station system are also being promoted and are expected to open up new directions of cooperation with Vietnam.

In the tourism sector, many members of the Business Council have been to Vietnam and are impressed by the natural beauty, culture and tourism development potential of Vietnam. Therefore, the two sides need to enhance tourism cooperation, aiming to make Vietnam a favorite resort destination for Saudi Arabian families, and at the same time welcome Vietnamese tourists to explore Saudi Arabia.

One of the important proposals is to establish a direct flight route between Vietnam and Saudi Arabia, which is considered a key factor to enhance exchanges, tourist exchanges and trade and investment cooperation between the two countries. In the immediate future, he proposed to deploy seasonal or event-based charter flights, thereby promoting tourism cooperation flexibly and effectively. Along with that, the Saudi Arabia - Vietnam Business Council also proposed to facilitate the visa issuance process to promote the number of tourists between the two countries.

He also shared the Council's ambition to promote Vietnam as a destination to Saudi Arabian families, with the goal of increasing the number of visitors to Vietnam in the coming years. Currently, the number of Saudi Arabian visitors to Vietnam is only about 10,000 people, and the Council hopes to increase this number many times, similar to the success they have achieved in other Southeast Asian countries.

The Saudi Arabia - Vietnam Business Council is ready to coordinate with Vietnam to carry out promotional activities to promote Vietnamese destinations in Saudi Arabia, including inviting key opinion leaders (KOLs) and famous content creators on social networks to experience and share about Vietnam tourism journeys.

Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ho An Phong, Vietnamese Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Hoang Huu Anh and Vice President of the Saudi Arabia - Vietnam Business Council Meshal Hamid Al-Hassaan took a souvenir photo.

Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ho An Phong highly appreciated the proposals of the Saudi Arabia - Vietnam Business Council, saying that these are practical ideas, in line with the cooperation orientation of the two countries.

The Deputy Minister emphasized that real estate and tourism have a close relationship, helping to improve investment efficiency, economic development and promote international cooperation. Vietnam and Saudi Arabia both have a lot of potential and advantages to cooperate in these areas. This close cooperation will certainly bring practical results, and at the same time open up opportunities for Saudi Arabian investors to choose Vietnam as a potential destination for tourism and resort projects.

To realize this goal, the Deputy Minister suggested strengthening the connection between businesses in the transport, aviation, travel, accommodation and restaurant sectors of the two countries. At the same time, there needs to be the participation of the tourism community, organizations, associations and support from state management agencies. The Vietnamese Embassy in Saudi Arabia, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism will coordinate to create favorable conditions for citizens of the two countries to travel, exchange and cooperate.

Leaders of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism also expressed support for facilitating visa policies, considering this an important solution to facilitate tourists and businesses of the two countries. In addition, it is also necessary to pay attention to flexibly handling arising issues, ensuring tourists have a convenient and safe experience.

Another important content is to build and develop unique tourism products, suitable to the tastes, culture and needs of Vietnamese and Saudi Arabian tourists. Both sides need to actively promote and introduce each other's destinations, through organizing cultural promotion activities, tourism promotion, and art troupe exchanges. At the same time, express support for the initiative to invite KOLs, celebrities and content creators of Saudi Arabia to Vietnam to experience and promote the image of the country and people of Vietnam.

Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ho An Phong, Deputy Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism Phan Linh Chi, Vietnamese Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Hoang Huu Anh and Vice President of the Saudi Arabia - Vietnam Business Council Meshal Hamid Al-Hassaan took a souvenir photo.

To increase connectivity, the leaders of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism proposed to organize meetings and exchanges between tourism businesses of the two countries, thereby building products, linking tours and promoting the sale of common tourism products. Vietnam is ready to invite travel businesses, real estate businesses, investors and KOLs of Saudi Arabia to conduct field surveys in Vietnam, and vice versa, organize Vietnamese business delegations to Saudi Arabia to survey, cooperate and develop the market.

Agreeing on the implementation of air routes between Vietnam and Saudi Arabia, the Deputy Minister suggested that both sides coordinate with aviation agencies to promote the establishment of air routes, while enhancing promotion and advertising to attract tourists and ensure operational efficiency. In the immediate future, charter flights can be organized to survey the market, moving towards opening direct flights in the near future.

Deputy Minister Ho An Phong expected that the number of tourists between the two countries will increase rapidly in the coming time, not only connecting Vietnam - Saudi Arabia but also expanding to destinations in the region such as Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, forming a connecting tourism corridor. At the same time, he emphasized that tourism will be the leading field, paving the way, creating a foundation to promote cooperation in other fields, bringing new values ​​and achievements to Vietnam and Saudi Arabia in the future.

Vietnam National Administration of Tourism

Source: https://bvhttdl.gov.vn/a-rap-xe-ut-mong-muon-thuc-day-hop-tac-dau-tu-tang-cuong-ket-noi-du-lich-voi-viet-nam-20251113081739478.htm