A program on tourism and investment opportunities in Uzbekistan was held at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) this week. The Uzbekistan Embassy invited Saudi tourists, entrepreneurs and investors to visit Uzbekistan this summer to see the opportunities for investment and business in a country which is rich in Islamic history, Muslim civilization and Islamic culture and traditions. Mustafa Ahmed K. Sabri, secretary general of JCCI, met with Alaishar Garoaf, Ambassador of Uzbekistan, to discuss ways to enhance trade relations, investment and business opportunities between the two countries. They also discussed organizing visits of Saudi businessmen to Tashkent for a closer look at the investment opportunities available there. More than two million tourists visited Uzbekistan last year, and the country is looking forward to welcoming more than 100,000 Saudi tourists this year as it plans to attract nearly half a million tourists from the Gulf countries. Sabri opened the tourism workshop by stressing the depth of the relations between the two countries in various fields. “Uzbekistan is a country where Muslim scholars played a major role in spreading Islam and Islamic culture. It is a land of Muslim civilization, a land that has experienced different phases of Islamic history, a land with a large number of Islamic schools,” said Ambassador Garoaf. “Samarqand is the most important city and the main production of the country is wheat, rice and raw cotton as well as sheep and cattle. Uzbekistan is one of the best countries for tourism in the region,” he added. During the workshop, participants received information on the tourism industry and trends in Uzbekistan, as well as, the important areas for the development of tourism and cultural heritage, unique historical monuments, nature and climate conditions.
