Saudi Arabia has set aside SAR 2.64 billion to transform Darin and Tarout Island, a 32-square-kilometer ancient heritage site with a population of 120,000 people, into a tourism destination with top attractions such as a large mangrove forest and eco-hotels.
The goal is to improve the quality of life and the GDP by capitalizing on the island’s comparative advantages in heritage, nature, and tourism in a way that adds to economic diversification.
The Darin and Tarout Development Corporation’s development plan includes identifying the island’s competitive advantages according to the three main pillars for shaping the future of Darin and Tarout Island: preserving the cultural and historical heritage of the island; the revival of natural and environmental sites; and improving quality of life and enhancing its tourism economy.
The Darin castle and airport will be promoted as heritage tourist destinations
The Darin castle and airport will be promoted as heritage tourist destinations, as well as staging various cultural and heritage festivals on the island and building multiple pedestrian routes that travel across the island’s heritage locations.
On the environmental front, the largest mangrove forest on the Arabian Gulf’s shores will be established, as will several environmental hotels and motels in natural areas, as well as improvements to the island’s quality of life through the construction of roads, infrastructure, and public parks, including several stadia and modern sports facilities.
The development is expected to have a significant economic and social impact in the region by contributing up to SAR 297 million to GDP
The development is expected to have a significant economic and social impact in the region by contributing up to SAR 297 million to GDP on an annual basis, increasing the number of tourists to 1.36 million by 2030, and providing thousands of job opportunities, as well as allocating up to 48% of the island’s area to parks, waterfronts, roads, and facilities.
The approval for accrediting the Darin and Tarout Island development concept and establishing the Darin and Tarout Development Corporation is in keeping with the Saudi Vision 2030 goals of realizing a flourishing economy.
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