Prince Sultan’s statement follows the approval of a strategic tourism development plan by the Council of Ministers, which aims to boost the Kingdom’s growing tourism sector by making use of its Red Sea coast. According to GCTA officials, plans have been prepared to establish new tourism projects worth SR150 billion along the Red Sea.
The new resorts will be established in Arrayes in Yanbu, Ras Muhaisen in Makkah province, Haridha in Asir, Fursan in Jizan, and Ras Humaid, Sharma, Qayyal and Dhaffat Al-Wajh in Tabuk. Sultan had signed a contract with an international consultancy firm to prepare a plan for the 1,800-km Saudi Red Sea coast.
The plan is in line with the government strategy to increase the tourism industry’s share in the Kingdom’s gross domestic product from six to 16 percent by 2020.
Prince Sultan also said that the GCTA would launch its future project, Vision 2020 for tourism investment in the Kingdom in the first quarter of next year. The plan includes investment in tourism sites and in travel, museums, antiquities and urban heritage.
“Saudi Arabia is set to become one of the leading countries in heritage preservation,” the GCTA chief said. “We’ll establish cooperative societies to preserve heritage villages,” he added.
He was speaking to reporters after signing a cooperation agreement with Tunisian Minister of Tourism Khalel Al-Egaimi. He said the first phase of Al-Oqair tourism project in the Eastern Province would cost SR100 million.
“We have started negotiations with investors and developers in association with the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs to implement the project,” he said.
Speaking about Vision 2020, Prince Sultan said it would boost investments in the tourism sector and integrate tourism with museums, small and medium projects, travel agents, air transportation, hospitality companies, rural rest houses and heritage hotels.
“We seek to have a broad and cohesive vision and we have presented a plan to finance tourism projects to the Council of Ministers,” he said.
He said Saudi Arabia is witnessing an era of development under the rule of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and Crown Prince Sultan. “Our country has made tremendous progress in economy, education, and social development.”
Tens of universities have been established with the support of government financing, most significant of which is King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Thuwal, near Jeddah. “On the tourism side we have the College of Tourism and Antiquities at King Saud University.”
