JEDDAH, 16 June 2005 — Prince Abdul Aziz ibn Fahd ibn Abdullah, deputy secretary-general of the Supreme Commission for Tourism, has described Jeddah a world-class tourist center with a lot of attractions.
Opening the first Recreation and Leisure Fair (RALF) at the Jeddah International Exhibition & Convention Center here yesterday, he said: “Tourism in Jeddah has become a real industry, which offers a lot of investment opportunities.”
The exhibition, which heralds Jeddah Summer Festival 2005, includes pavilions for travel and tourism agencies, hotels, furnished apartments, resorts, recreational centers and Haj and Umrah operatives. The six-day event will be open to public from 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. daily.
“This is a good opportunity for investors in travel and tourism projects,” said Prince Abdul Aziz. He highlighted the various tourist attractions in the city, especially its enchanting Corniche, attractive shopping centers and valuable historical sites. “All these make Jeddah one of the world’s best tourist centers,” he told the gathering. Prince Abdul Aziz underscored the efforts of Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry in promoting Jeddah as a potential tourist city. He said the commission would establish a website and publish booklets on exhibitions and conferences inside and outside the Kingdom.
The fair is being held under the patronage of the SCT and supported by the Presidency of Youth Welfare, JCCI, the Jeddah Mayoralty, Saudi Arabian Airlines, and the regional festival committees.
RALF, which is appearing on the exhibition scene for the first time, is in support of the Kingdom’s efforts to promote national and domestic tourism and attaches utmost importance to the interrelated activities under five attractive themes - Leisure, Live, Splash, Sport, and the Great Outdoors.
It is set with dynamic interactive indoor and outdoor features including beach volleyball, motorbike and quad stunt shows, scuba diving, roller blades competition, Sony PlayStation Arcade, Internet Café, Kids Zone for children’s hands-on activities and some handicrafts produced live.