Tourism is a labour intensive industry and is regarded as the world’s leading employer generating 11 percent of global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) employing 200 million people and transporting nearly 700 million travelers per year, a figure expected to double by 2020 (World Travel and Tourism Council).

 

Average growth rates for tourism in the Middle East since 2000 are 10 percent per annum according to the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), as compared to a global average of 4.1 percent. Despite the current downturn in economies around the world, Middle East is still seen as an emerging destination and tourism will be a key driver for many countries looking to diversify their economies.

 

As a keystone economy for Al Madina A’Zarqa, tourism is providing numerous opportunities for investment and employment across the city and beyond.

 

The tourism element in Al Madina A’Zarqa will provide for all the contemporary facilities that today’s demanding tourists expect to find. These will include 5-star hotels, resorts, spas, restaurants, museums, theatres, several historical sites as well as the tallest peak in Eastern Arabia and some of the world’s best dive sites.