THE FIRST TOURISM FORUM ON "TOURISM INTEGRATION" AMONG MEMBER COUNTRIES OF THE ORGANIZATION OF ISLAMIC CONFERENCE (OIC) WILL BE HELD IN JEDDAH FROM SEPTEMBER 18-20. THE FORUM IS BEING HELD UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE HIGHER TOURISM COMMISSION, THE COUNCIL OF THE SAUDI CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY AND THE ISLAMIC (OIC MEMBERS) CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY. THE FORUM IS TO BE HELD UNDER THE PATRONAGE OF SAUDI INTERIOR MINISTER PRINCE NAIF BIN ABDULAZIZ, WHO IS ALSO CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE HIGHER TOURISM COMMISSION. DR FAHD BIN SALIH AL-SULTAN, THE SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE COUNCIL OF THE SAUDI CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, HOPED THAT THE FORUM WOULD YIELD POSITIVE RESULTS AND CONTRIBUTE TO ACTIVATION OF TOURISM. HE EXPECTED THAT MOST OF THE MINISTERS OF TOURISM OR WHOMSOEVER THEY DEPUTIZE FROM THEIR RESPECTIVE COUNTRIES AS WELL AS DELEGATES OF THE GOVERNMENTAL AND NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS CONCERNED WITH THE TOURISM SECTOR WILL PARTICIPATE IN THE FORUM. AL-SULTAN POINTED OUT THAT THE ORGANIZATION OF THE FIRST TOURISM FORUM COMES IN LINE WITH THE RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED BY THE THIRD CONFERENCE OF THE ISLAMIC TOURISM MINISTERS, HELD IN RIYADH ON OCT 6, 2002. 'THE FORUM AIMS AT ADOPTING AN EFFECTIVE STRATEGY FOR PROMOTION OF THE TOURISM MARKET AT THE LEVEL OF THE MUSLIM COUNTRIES', HE SAID, NOTING THAT THE PARTICIPANTS OF THE FORUM WILL EXPLORE MEANS OF FACILITATING TOURISM INTEGRATION AMONG THE MUSLIM COUNTRIES. 'THE ORGANIZATION OF THE FORUM IN THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA WILL PROVIDE A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO SHED LIGHT ON THE SAUDI TOURISM AS WELL AS ON THE STATUTES AND REGULATIONS PERTAINING TO HAJJ AND UMRAH (MINOR HAJJ). ON THE FRINGES OF THE FORUM, EIGHT WORKSHOPS WILL BE ORGANIZED ON TOURISM PROMOTION.
