Princess Fahda Bandar Al-Saud talks tourism, transformation, and ‘The Traveling Panther’

The tourism sector in Saudi Arabia is set to be the fastest growing in the Middle East over the next decade, with an average annual growth of 11%. Joining hosts Hanaa and Lucien this week on the MAINSTAGE segment of The TWENTY30 Podcast is HH Princess Fahda Bandar Al-Saud, Saudi tourism entrepreneur who transformed a popular instagram hobby into a thriving tourism services and consultancy business called ‘The Traveling Panther’ that is now a leader in the space and works closely with the Kingdom’s Ministry of Tourism.

In this exclusive conversation with The TWENTY30 Podcast, Princess Fahda discusses the status of the development of Saudi Arabia’s tourism industry, which recently soared past a goal of 100 million tourists by 2030 *6 years ahead of schedule.* That achievement caused authorities, who are preparing for major global events in the coming decade, to revise upward its goals for 2030 and beyond. The rapid development of the sector is a key piece of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 social and economic transformation plans, and it is full speed ahead for the public and private sector to develop a thriving industry in Saudi Arabia.

Princess Fahda also emphasized the diverse beauty of the Kingdom across its 13 different regions, shared some of her personal experiences traveling across the Kingdom (and often off the beaten path), and why she believes visiting Saudi Arabia is a must to really understand the deep roots and historical significance of Saudi Arabia’s place in the world today and in the past.

After the discussion with HH Princess Fahda, the hosts get to some of the latest news on Saudi Arabia, including:

🎸A Saudi heavy metal rock band making history in Germany…

🤳Hands-free driving in Saudi Arabia…

📈SABIC’s eye-watering profits in the latest quarter…

👶 And, the birth of a new baby announced for the Crown Prince of Jordan and Princess Rajwa of Jordan are parents and his Saudi wife (Mabrook!). Welcome baby Iman!

 

Lucien and Hanaa conclude episode 22 with the ‘SHOUTOUTS’ segment, acknowledging the good people doing the real work to advance the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 goals. This week, Lucien gave a shoutout to one of his dearest and oldest friends, Dr. Abdulaziz Alanazi from King Saud University, winner of a prestigious international prize on water, and Dr. Hanaa gave her shoutout to Alaa Alsheikh, who recently gave a great interview on an Arabic podcast.

 

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A note from the Hosts:

The TWENTY30 Podcast is on a slightly modified schedule between July 21-September 1.

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About The TWENTY30 Podcast

New futuristic cities built from scratch. Giga-projects. Major sports investments. Trillions in spending. An economy and society changing so quickly even locals sometimes can’t believe their eyes. Saudi Arabia is on a mission to change itself from a conservative society with an oil-dominated economy to a modern and open society with a diversified economy - and to become a global tourism destination. Such a transformation has never before been attempted, and the stakes for the Middle East - and the world - are high. The TWENTY30 is a new media network and podcast that explores the seemingly endless dimensions of the social and economic transformations in Saudi Arabia, which few living outside the Kingdom can truly grasp. From the creator and co-host of The 966 Podcast comes a new platform that tackles the news, issues, challenges, and opportunities in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East region as it continues forward in a full-throttle effort to remake itself while the world watches. Featuring exclusive interviews, frank conversations, and in-depth topic exploration, The TWENTY30 is the first bi-weekly English program of its kind dedicated to uncovering and highlighting the road ahead for Saudi Arabia and the region and why it matters.

 

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The TWENTY30 Podcast is a production of The TWENTY30 Media Group, LLC. 

 

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