ABHA, 8 July 2006 — Five heritage villages have been identified for development in different parts of the Kingdom as part of the country’s tourism promotion. Prince Sultan ibn Salman, secretary-general of the Supreme Commission for Tourism. submitted the plan for the heritage village project to Crown Prince Sultan, deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, here on Thursday night.
The villages are tourist centers that are built to look like traditional Old Arabian townships, featuring regional architecture, crafts, costume and cuisine.
The ancient town of Al-Ghat in Riyadh region, Al-Ula in Madinah region, Rejal Al-Maie in Asir region, Jabah in Hail region, and Dhi Ayn in Baha region are the five locations for the new heritage towns, Saudi Press Agency reported.
“The project will boost the development of those places and will be greatly beneficial to the residents,” said the crown prince.
The project also aims to create employment opportunities for the locals in the tourism industry and thus substantial increase in the income of the communities. The heritage villages also help preserve the identity of the country’s cultural heritage besides attracting tourists and related economic activities.
The financing of the scheme will be largely undertaken by the public sector and government organizations and local administrations in addition to the contributions of willing philanthropist organizations.
The crown prince, who arrived in the region on Monday, hosted a dinner for the local dignitaries, including military officers of the Southern Command Thursday night.
Asir Governor Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Deputy Governor Prince Faisal ibn Khaled, Prince Sultan ibn Salman and several princes and dignitaries attended the dinner.
Prince Sultan, who ended yesterday his first visit to the province after becoming the crown prince, donated SR5 million for the cultural center at Al-Namas governorate.
