OREANDA-NEWS   The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed ibn Salman, announced plans to create a second national airline to make the kingdom a global logistics center and develop international tourism more actively, Interfax-Kazakhstan reports with reference to the Al-Monitor portal.

“The complex strategy aims to position Saudi Arabia as a global logistics hub connecting three continents. In addition, the creation of a new airline will help such types of travel to the kingdom as tourism, Hajj and Umrah”, - the Crown Prince said.

As it is noted by Al-Monitor, with the advent of the second airline, it is planned to increase the number of destinations to more than 250, as well as add new opportunities in the air cargo sector, bringing the volume to more than 4.5 million tons per year. The kingdom also plans to expand the railway network with other Gulf countries, increasing the share of the transport sector in GDP from 6 to 10%.

The new airline is expected to serve international tourists and business travelers, and the Kingdom's flagship airline, Saudia, based in Jeddah, will focus on religious tourism.

In 2016, the kingdom approved the Vision 2030 reform plan of Mohammad ibn Salman, aimed at modernizing Saudi Arabia and making it more attractive to investors and tourists. By 2030, Saudi Arabia plans to receive 100 million tourists a year - six times more than in 2019.