DAMASCUS, 3 October — Syrian President Bashar Assad received Prince Alwaleed ibn Talal, chairman of Kingdom Holding Company, and discussed the latest international developments and their effects on the region.
Prince Alwaleed, who is on a short visit here, also briefed the president on his future investment plans in Syria, reaffirming his support to economic plans endorsed by the government.
At a meeting with Minister of Tourism Dr. Saad Al-Kalla, Prince Alwaleed discussed investment opportunities in the tourism sector. The minister briefed the prince on new measures aimed at boosting tourism investments in the country. The minister quoted the president as saying that “Tourism is Syria’s future oil.”
Prince Alwaleed referred to new steps taken by the Syrian government to encourage investments in tourism and said that he was looking into developing a number of four-star hotels in various regions in Syria. He also had plans to renovate old buildings turning them into hotels. Prince Alwaleed has already undertaken the task of reconstructing the village of Zayzoun that was entirely flooded due to the collapse of a nearby dam.
