Saudi Arabia cooperates with UnionPay Int'l to attract more Chinese travellers

RIYADH, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- Saudi Arabia will cooperate with UnionPay International to facilitate Chinese travelers' experience in the kingdom.

The Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) announced on Tuesday a signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with UnionPay International, a leading global payment services provider, aiming to enhance Saudi's comparative advantage as a tourism destination for UnionPay cardholders from China and around the world.

STA CEO Fahd Hamidaddin said the MoU is another significant step in positioning Saudi as a leading global tourism destination for Chinese travelers.

James Yang, head of UnionPay International Middle East, said the MoU is an important part of UnionPay's internationalization strategy and creates greater convenience for Chinese and global UnionPay cardholders.

UnionPay has accelerated its regional business in recent years. Currently, 11 countries and regions in the Middle East accept UnionPay cards.

Saudi has identified China as the number one source market within the Asian Pacific region, Alhasan Aldabbagh, STA chief APAC markets officer, told Xinhua.

Saudi Arabia has ambitious plans for the tourism sector and aims to become a top-5 global tourism destination by 2030. China is one of the 49 countries eligible for tourist e-visa.