Goodbye 2023: These are the biggest stories of the year
Goodbye 2023: These are the biggest stories of the year
As always excitement fills the air across the Kingdom as anticipated luxury hotel openings, vibrant dining spots, captivating entertainment destinations, and thrilling travel routes took centre stage in 2023
26 December 23
Continuously offering visitors and residents a myriad of fresh experiences to explore and discover, the Kingdom has a number of exciting, interesting and culturally important events that have happened throughout 2023.
Of course, numerous plans for enthralling mega-projects have also been announced, you can check out more about these exciting developments right here.
Football legend Cristiano Ronaldo debuts for Al-Nassr
Internationally acknowledged as one of the most talented and iconic football players of our time, the Portuguese superstar debuted for his new Saudi team in January. Ronaldo signed a two-and-half year deal with Riyadh’s Al-Nassr, and the striker has since scored an impressive number of goals for the Saudi Pro League team and brought international attention to the division.
Check out more about Ronaldo's restaurant in Saudi, right here
Take Off: The nation’s newest airline – Riyadh Air – officially launches
Set to officially take flight in 2025, Saudi Arabia's new world-class airline has ambitious plans to connect the Kingdom's capital with over 100 destinations globally by 2030, including several cities in China, and various destinations across Asia, Europe and North America. Initially launched with a royal purple led livery design at the Paris Airshow in June 2023, and in November unveiled a dual livery, an inverted colourway with a white base.
The Kingdom's newest airline, Riyadh Air launches, read more here
Combines true luxury with traditional architectural charm Via Riyadh welcomes first visitors
In May, the capital city welcomed a brand new, premium dining, shopping, and entertainment destination, Via Riyadh. Via Riyadh is a love letter to the past whilst embracing the desires of modern living, seamlessly fusing modern, aesthetic elements such as large windows and lighting projections with more authentic, Salmani architectural principles such as the use of limestone on the venue's signature sloped façades. The destination has since become a beacon for food and fashion lovers, and more recently was declared an official zone of Riyadh Season 2023.
Discover all the restaurants to be found at Via Riyadh, right here
Saudi Arabia welcomed almost 8 million visitors in Q1 alone
A record number of more than 7.8 million tourists visited the Kingdom between January and March of this year. According to the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Tourism, this is the highest quarterly performance since pre-pandemic times, and represents a growth of 64% during the same time period in 2019. Tourism has been made a key strategy of Vision 2030, as the Kingdom aims to see more than 100 million tourists visiting Saudi each year.
An elevated communal dining concept has opened in the iconic Kingdom Centre
In September, the very first social dining hall experience opened in the Kingdom. From celebrity chefs and Michelin Star restaurants, Al Mamlaka Social Dining will host twenty-one different dining concepts, and twelve different cuisines, all under one roof. A luxury cafeteria-style dining hall, Al Mamlaka is the first dining concept of its kind to open in the Kingdom.
Discover more about Al Mamlaka Social Dining here
One Small Step for (Wo)Man: Saudi’s first female astronaut blasts into space
In the early hours of May 22, Saudi Arabian national Rayyanah Barnawi became the very first Saudi woman and the first Muslim woman to launch into space. Marking a historic moment in space travel, and for the Kingdom, the launch of the Axiom-2 mission to the International Space Station was successful for many reasons. Over the course of ten days, the team conducted numerous scientific experiments in micro-gravity — including how to generate artificial rain in the environment — as the mission aimed to support the ongoing research and development of suitable and liveable conditions for further human space exploration.
Read more about Barnawi's journey here
AlUla Tramway Project
Originally announced in June 2022, the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) unveiled further plans for the AlUla Experiential Tramway project. The project will create a new and interesting way for visitors to enjoy the incredible cultural and historical sites of the AlUla region, it will also offer visitors a new form of transportation around the rugged and desolate desert area.
Everything we know about the AlUla Experiential Tramway
The first flights depart from Red Sea International Airport
In September, the new Red Sea International Airport officially commenced operations with an inaugural flight landing, and later departing from the brand-new commercial airport. Saudia Flight SV1571 gracefully touched down on the newly completed runway, marking the beginning of a new era for the airport. This momentous occasion also marked the commencement of a twice-weekly flight service connecting Riyadh to the airline, this significantly enhances the connectivity between the capital city and the Red Sea region.
These milestone flights are set to become popular
UNESCO recognises several historical and culturally important locations in Saudi
Saudi Arabia is home to numerous UNESCO World Heritage Sites, protected areas that are deemed to be of historical and/or cultural importance to the entire world. And, one more location has been added to the list — ‘Uruq Bani Mu’arid Nature Reserve — following the meeting of international delegates at the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee 2023 that took place in Riyadh in September. Other unique additions include, the 10,000 year old inscriptions and carvings of Jabal Ikmah were added a list of UNESCO Memory of the World in May.
Learn more about the newest, protected wildlife reserve in the Kingdom
The first Red Sea luxury destination has opened to the public
After many years of planning, the luxury Red Sea destination is officially coming to life. In November, Six Senses Southern Dunes, the first of a dozen resorts in the region opened its doors and booking portals. Located close to The Red Sea coastline, this resort will be a desert escape where visitors will be enveloped in the rolling sand dunes of the Red Sea region, and will sit against the expansive landscapes and backdrop of the Hijaz Mountains.
Read more about the Six Senses Southern Dunes here
...And, the second Red Sea resort will open in January 2024
The Red Sea's Ummahat Island is destined to be home to two of the region's most exclusive and exciting resorts; the St. Regis Red Sea Resort and Nujuma, A Ritz-Carlton Reserve. Set on Ummahat Island, the paradisiacal five-star St. Regis Red Sea Resort is taking bookings from January 7, 2024. Situated within a private archipelago and conservation area on the edges of the Kingdom's Blue Hole atoll. Ideal for those seeking idyllic glimpses of the region's natural beauty, this 90-room exclusive resort was designed and envisioned by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma.
Here is everything we know about St. Regis Red Sea Resort
That's not all - the Red Sea to get the nation's first water-based runway
Expected to host a number of floating sea-planes, the yet-to-be-named aquatic aerodrome will be designed to achieve a unique harmony between modern aviation and access with the natural marine environment. The new aquatic aerodrome will be a base for visitors to the region wishing to transfer by air from the region's newly opened Red Sea International Airport to the idyllic escape of the luxury resorts on the Ummahat Islands.
Everything we know about the planned aquatic aerodrome
Riyadh declared the host city of World Expo 2030
Following unsuccessful bids from other host nations such as Italy and South Korea, it was confirmed following a vote by officials in Paris. In an internationally broadcast statement, it was declared that the 2030 edition of the World Expo event will set to take place in the Saudi Arabian city of Riyadh, from approximately October 1, 2030, through to March 31, 2031. Although the event is still seven years away, the Kingdom plans to complete all preparations ahead of schedule, aiming for the site to be ready by 2028. Throughout the six months of Expo 2030, it is estimated that 40 million visitors will tour the Expo site.
Check out what the Expo 2030 site will look like here
A brand new experiential zone has arrived in Jeddah's City Walk
Little Asia will be Jeddah's newest immersive, experiential and entertainment destination, where visitors can discover a number of countries across eight zones, such as China, Indonesia, Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines. Enjoy impromptu K-Pop gigs, massive music productions on the purpose built stage alongside a number of culturally inspired street performances, such as Chinese dragon dancing, and Samurai sword fighting - and of course an array of international eats.
Discover a taste of the Far East on the east coast of Saudi
Riyadh Season 2023 sees 5 million visitors in the first month
This year's Riyadh Season opened with the Battle of the Baddest, an iconic showdown between Tyson Fury, and Francis Ngannou, infront of a rapturous crowd on October 28. Although the original visitor estimate was bullish, in light of recent visitor figures, the fourth edition of the annual celebration could well exceed these expectations - sooner rather than later. It was reported that during the first week of the event, Riyadh Season 2023 saw more than 1 million visitors. And now, less than five weeks later, it has been confirmed that more than 5 million people have visited the various zones and events of Riyadh Season 2023.
Have you visited Riyadh Season yet?
Set to open in 2028, the Kingdom's first purpose-built opera house announced
The Royal Diriyah Opera House will marry modern design with elements of traditional Najdi form, and will span a monumental 46,000 square metres. Four theatres will this welcome an impressive 3,500 patrons, with each theatre destined for distinctive performances. Designed by internationally acclaimed Norwegian architectural firm Snøhetta together with Riyadh-based firm, Syn Architects, the construction and development of the opera house will overseen by Diriyah Company, whilst its operations will be managed by the Royal Commission for Riyadh.
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