Badea Abunaja Saudi Gazette RIYADH — The president of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) has said studies indicate that the Saudi tourism sector will generate 1.1 million jobs in 2015. Prince Sultan Bin Salman made the remarks while accompanying Prince Khaled Bin Bandar, Emir of Riyadh region, during a visit to the Makkah pavilion at the Saudi Travel and Tourism Investment Forum 2013, which is under way at the Riyadh International Exhibitions Center. Prince Khaled and Prince Sultan expressed happiness about what they saw at the pavilion and lauded the efforts of all personnel who contributed to it. Prince Sultan lauded some important decisions made by the state after last year's forum to develop domestic tourism, and converting it to a productive economic sector and a provider of jobs for Saudi nationals. He said these decisions confirm the attention and continuous support the government is giving to the tourism sector. “This forum is not for the SCTA alone but for all its partners, foremost among them is the citizen who is the basic partner in tourism development,” said the SCTA chief. The prince said comprehensive plans for developing 28 destinations and tourist sites on a priority basis have been approved. Several of the projects have been offered for investment by the private sector. Most important of these are Al-Oqair tourist site, Souq Okaz historical site and Al-Rayis coastal site, Al-Harra recreation area, Al Yazid recreation park, Al-Qahma and Qiyal, and Sharma. There are other tourism projects of great importance for which a higher committee has been formed. Meanwhile, Dr. Ibrahim Al-Sini, executive adviser for Dhiyafat Al-Balad Al-Amin Company, said Makkah will witness a number of national tourism projects aiming to upgrade hospitality services in the holy city. These include the issuance of printed and electronic guidance maps that can be used on smart devices to enable the visitor to tour the holy city without the fear of losing his way. These maps will be distributed free of charge. The company will also produce meals of high quality using German technology. It has signed an agreement for the production of 20 million meals annually. The investment cost for the project has reached SR430 million. Al-Sini said a cable car project will link Mount Zubair and Jabal Al-Noor via the holy sites. Visitors can benefit from the project throughout the year, especially during the Haj season.
