DAMMAM, 6 January 2003 — A seminar on tourism in the Eastern Province has discussed various aspects of the ongoing tourism project in the region and chalked out plans to attract more visitors from neighboring cities and Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait for Eid Al-Adha.
The seminar opened yesterday at the Eastern Province Chamber of Commerce and Industry and was chaired by Prince Abdul Aziz ibn Fahd ibn Abdullah, chairman of the tourism committee.
Hoteliers, travel agents, officials from amusement centers, shopping malls and restaurants attended the seminar.
Prince Abdul Aziz said the tourism committee will make additional efforts during the Eid Al-Adha festivities, for instance, by sponsoring all public celebrations.
Every year hundreds of tourists from neighboring cities as well as the Gulf states visit the Eastern Province during Eid Al-Fitr. The main attractions are the beaches of Dammam and Alkhobar and the Dammam gold souk.
The seminar’s participants emphasized the need to enhance these facilities and make them more attractive to potential tourists.
They particularly stressed the need to beautify the Half Moon Beach area, which is also a center of attraction for domestic tourists.
Several tourism projects are under way in the region and the city of Alkhobar is receiving a face-lift from a number of massive construction and renovation projects. Dhahran Street, which passes through the city center and connects to the Jubail Highway, is being expanded.
Alkhobar Corniche has already been renovated and now has many added facilities. And Dammam Corniche is a prime attraction for tourists.
In the past year alone several amusement centers have opened, as have new shopping malls.
