Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH – Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb said that the ministry will allocate SR500 million from its budget for the year 2022 to train and invest in Saudi citizen. Addressing the annual Budget Forum here on Monday, the minister called on male and female citizens to join the tourism sector.

Al-Khateeb disclosed that the ministry’s priorities in the coming year 2022 include continuation of reforms and marketing campaigns during the winter and summer seasons with full of programs and activities. He said Saudi Arabia is one of the 10 most powerful countries in the world in terms of domestic tourism. “Tourism is one of the most promising sectors in the Kingdom, and an essential pillar of Vision 2030. It is one of the most important sectors that contribute to strengthening the role of the private sector to contribute to the economy as well as to create jobs,” he said while noting that 10 percent of those employed globally are in the tourism sector and 10 percent of the world’s economy is based on tourism.

The minister said that the government of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman, with the support of Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, attached great importance to the tourism sector to achieve economic gains, and raised the percentage of its contribution to jobs from 4 percent to 10 percent.

Al-Khateeb said that tourism and travel sector faced great challenges due to the pandemic in 2020 as its contribution to the economy decreased to 75 percent compared to 2019. However, this created an opportunity to improve the legislative and financing environment and develop the domestic tourism industry. He noted that the Saudi capital city has become an incubator for the tourism industry in the Middle East. “The first regional office of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) was opened in Riyadh, with 13 regional offices affiliated to it, in addition to opening of the UNWTO Training Institute in Riyadh, and the establishment of the Global Center for Tourism Sustainability, which is the first in the world to take care of environment, sustainability and the tourism economy,” he said.