JEDDAH, 20 February 2005 — Prince Sultan ibn Salman, secretary-general of the Supreme Commission for Tourism, has emphasized the government’s plan to Saudize five tourism sectors this year. He spelled out the five sectors as travel and tourism agents, hotels and furnished apartments, Haj & Umrah, recreation centers and cottage industries and handicrafts.
Prince Sultan also revealed plans to appoint tourist police. “We have already begun studying the subject in light of the experience of other countries. We have conducted a joint study with the Interior Ministry on this issue.”
There is currently a program on tourism at King Fahd Security Academy, he pointed out. “We are ready to do whatever is required for the success of domestic tourism,” the SCT chief said.
Prince Sultan also emphasized women’s role in promoting tourism and said they would be trained to work in different sectors of tourism. “As per our present strategy, the tourism sector will provide more than 1.5 million jobs within the next 20 years,” he added.
He said the Saudization plan for the five sectors would be carried out in association with other government departments and in cooperation with investors in the tourism sector. “We will establish the required standards for all jobs in the travel and tourism sector, hotels and furnished apartments and Haj & Umrah,” he said, adding that employment of Saudis in the sectors will start in the second half of this year.
He said training of Saudi jobseekers in the travel and tourism sector would start in June, adding that 80 percent of jobs in the sector would be Saudized.
“We will hold a special training program for immigration and customs officials working in airports and seaports. We will also hold a workshop for tour operators in the Kingdom’s regions in order to achieve coordination,” he said.
The move comes as part of the Kingdom’s efforts to create more jobs for Saudis in the private sector and cut down the rate of unemployment which is estimated at 15 percent.
