JEDDAH: The Council of Ministers yesterday approved a strategic tourism development plan, which aims to boost the Kingdom’s growing tourism sector by making use of its Red Sea coast.
“The plan aims to tackle the problems that obstruct optimum and sustained use of the Red Sea’s tourism potentials, especially in economic, environmental and heritage areas,” said the Cabinet meeting, which was chaired by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah.
According to officials at the General Commission for Tourism & Antiquities (GCTA), plans have been made to establish a large number of tourism projects along the Red Sea at a cost of nearly SR150 billion.
The new resorts will be established in Arrayes in Yanbu, Ras Muhaisen in the Makkah region, Haridha in the Asir region, Fursan in Jizan, and Ras Humaid, Sharma, Qayyal and Dhaffat Al-Wajh in the Tabuk region.
Prince Sultan bin Salman, secretary-general of GCTA, signed a SR2.08 million contract with an international consultancy firm in June 2005 to prepare a plan for the 1,800 km Saudi Red Sea coast.
The plan is in line with government strategy to increase the tourism industry’s share in the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) from six to 16 percent by 2020.
The tourism sector, including Haj and Umrah, currently contributes six percent to the Kingdom’s GDP or SR55 billion.
GCTA hopes the new resorts will attract about 19 percent of total domestic tourists and 25 percent of foreign tourists by 2020. Annual tourist spending is valued at SR9.9 billion.
The Cabinet also fixed the annual fees for registering private companies and establishments in the commercial registry as follows: SR1,600 for joint stock and limited partnership companies, SR1,200 for limited liability companies, SR800 for other companies and SR200 for private establishments.
The annual fee for each of the affiliates of private companies will be half their annual fee. Companies and establishments will also be able to pay their fees in advance by up to five years. Amendments of recorded data, access to registries and obtaining other certificates will now cost SR100.
