Logo of Phnom Penh Post newspaper Phnom Penh Post - Cambodia, Saudi Arabia to lift up tourism ties

Cambodia, Saudi Arabia to lift up tourism ties

Content image - Phnom Penh Post
Saudi ambassador Saud FM al-Suwelim (left) meets tourism minister Thong Khon on Thursday. SUPPLIED

Cambodia, Saudi Arabia to lift up tourism ties

Cambodia and Saudi Arabia have pledged to strengthen tourism ties and launch direct flights between the two Kingdoms.

The vow comes after Phnom Penh issued an announcement heralding Cambodia as a safe travel destination, the Ministry of Tourism said in a statement on January 28.

The statement was made following a meeting between Minister of Tourism Thong Khon and Saudi ambassador Saud FM al-Suwelim at the ministry on January 27.

The two sides also discussed strategies to draw in more Muslim sightseers to Cambodia, which Khon emphasised that the country is keen to receive, owing in part to targetted initiatives taken by his ministry
that are designed to put the nation on the map as an appealing holiday destination for this group of travellers.

The minister said the Cambodian government has put roadmaps in place to restore and spur travel across the Kingdom during and after the Covid-19 crisis that rely heavily on vaccination, and rolled out various
strategic policies to underpin a tourism recovery in the region.

The 40th ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF 2022) a couple weeks back serves as a prime example of why Cambodia is a safe tourism destination, Khon said, noting that all of more than 400 international attendees from 27 countries received a negative result on PCR tests taken prior to departure.

Khon asked the ambassador to help promote Cambodia as a safe tourism destination in Saudi Arabia.

Al-Suwelim voiced appreciation and acknowledged the strides made by Cambodia on effective Covid-19 management, and implementing policy to quickly vaccinate as many people as possible as well as restart tourism and wider economic activity, according to the statement.

He underlined that Riyadh has set a 2030 vision to transform Saudi Arabia, as a member of the Group of 20 leading economies, into a major global tourism hub. Riyadh encourages Cambodians to visit the
country as well, he said.

Khon asked Riyadh to expedite the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on tourism cooperation between the two countries, noting that Phnom Penh sent a draft of the document to Saudi Arabia, but has yet to receive a response.

Al-Suwelim vowed to bring up the issue to Riyadh and push for the necessary work to be completed in the near future.

The minister also touched on the possibility of launching direct flights between the Kingdoms to enhance the bilateral flow of travellers as well as increase the number of visitors from other countries.

He suggested direct Riyadh-Phnom Penh flights or even multi-destination routes to a combination of Phnom Penh, Sihanoukville and Siem Reap town.

The ambassador revealed that Saudi Arabia plans to set up a route in May from Riyadh to Phnom Penh via Bangkok, and that the Saudi tourism minister would be on the inaugural flight to Cambodia.

MOST VIEWED

  • 12th Cambodia int’l film festival to see return of Hollywood star

    Phnom Penh is set to come alive with the magic of cinema as the highly anticipated 12th Cambodia International Film Festival (CIFF) takes centre stage. Boasting an impressive line-up of 188 films from 23 countries, including captivating shorts, feature films, documentaries and animation, the festival promises an

  • Brawl marrs football final as Indonesian take gold in seven goal thriller

    The Indonesian men's U22 men national football team were crowned champions of the 32nd SEA Games in Cambodia, defeating Thailand 5-2 in extra time on May 16 at Olympic National Stadium in Phnom Penh. The match was marred by an ugly incident that occured in the 91

  • Bareknuckle champion wants Kun Khmer fighter

    Dave Leduc, who is the current openweight Lethwei boxing champion in Myanmar, has announced that he will travel to Cambodia this year to challenge SEA Games gold medallist Prum Samnang any time that is convenient, after their planned match later this month in Slovakia was

  • Candlelight Party disqualified from July general election

    The National Election Committee (NEC) has disqualified the Candlelight Party (CP) from contesting the upcoming general election, citing a lack of valid documentation. NEC spokesman Khorn Keomono said the CP failed to fulfil one of the three main requirements: including original documentation proving their registration

  • Thong Khon calls for orderly SEA Games closing ceremony

    Thong Khon, Minister of Tourism and permanent vice-president of the Cambodia SEA Games Organising Committee (CAMSOC), calls on all people who have received tickets to the May 17 closing ceremony of the biennial multi-sports extravaganza at the Morodok Techo National Stadium to ensure that the event

  • 1.4 billion dollar Phnom Penh-Bavet expressway due in four years

    The Government, through the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, has officially signed a public-private partnership agreement with a private company for the construction of a Phnom Penh-Bavet Expressway project that will connect the capital to Svay Rieng province. The budget for the project is