JEDDAH, 21 February 2005 — The head of the Supreme Commission for Tourism (SCT), Prince Sultan ibn Salman, said that the tourism sector is considered the fastest growing sector internationally and offers the best environment to create jobs for youth.
He said the Kingdom is developing this vital sector based on this perspective, and the SCT created a strategy to boost the tourism sector.
He praised the Saudization plans in the tourism sector, especially the agreement between the Supreme Commission for Tourism and the Labor Ministry to create more jobs in this sector. He said that Saudization is a reality and the SCT is looking to Saudize 80% of the sector.
Prince Sultan made this statement during the second day of the 6th Jeddah Economic Forum at the session on tourism.
Prince Sultan said that the SCT benefited from the experiences of other countries and developed a tourism sector that is playing an important role in the local economy. He cited the plan to make road travel easy in the Kingdom as one example. He said, firstly, road travel between Riyadh and Dammam would be made easier and comfortable with the building of rest houses on the route at set distances to enable the travelers a easier journey. After this sector, the SCT plans to set up the houses in different routes.
He also emphasized that training programs have been instituted to develop qualified and talented manpower who would, in turn, create an environment that would enable the sector to compete on international standards. This, in the process, will drive the local economy. The sector has also generated interest among investors, especially the Gulf investors who have shown a marked interest in this sector.
He cited the Malaysian experience in the field of tourism as an example of success. Despite hosting different cultures Malaysia has developed its tourism sector into one of the most lucrative one.
Egypt’s Minister of Tourism Ahmad Al-Mughrabi said tourism is a modern and fast-growing industry that supports many livelihoods. It is also one of the means to communicate with other nations and also treading the path of economic globalization, he added.
He said the Egyptian tourism sector has been growing fast the past few years. The number of tourist nights increased to 8 million nights and bookings by 16%. He added the Egyptian government has launched programs to develop the tourism industry, including training and awareness programs to more than 14,000 trainees.