He was addressing an economic conference in the Jordanian coastal Al-Aqaba city Thursday. The prince chaired the first session of the Al-Aqaba second economic conference titled “Tourist Industry and its Impact on Reducing Poverty and Unemployment.”

“Tourism is one of the important industries which plays a big and significant role in providing job opportunities and alleviating poverty. The Kingdom is currently passing through a remarkable transitional period and this sector too is witnessing a change. Tourism, which is a major human activity, has today become an industry all by itself,” he said.

More than 500 participants, including economists, tourism experts and media persons from various Arab countries, attended the conference.

Prince Sultan said the tourist industry in local societies facilitated the setting up of service establishments to provide handicraft products in addition to creating job opportunities especially in the historic, heritage and agricultural sites.

“This activity will ensure honorable living for the residents of these areas who will no longer have to migrate to the urban cities,” he said.

Sultan told the conference that the tourism sector in the Kingdom was witnessing a unique experience based on partnership with local societies. “This policy has resulted in big investments for the welfare of the inhabitants,” he added.

He explained that the SCTA was focusing on tourist investments in local societies especially in agricultural and rural areas.

“We are cooperating with a number of public and private establishments to further consolidate this trend. We have taken a giant leap through building the capacity of the rural and heritage areas,” he added.

Sultan expressed happiness that Madain Saleh was the first Saudi historic and tourist site to be registered on the list of international heritage areas and said tourism was one of the most important economic sectors in the world in respect of providing job opportunities and boosting the national economy.

Sultan called for involving local societies in tourist projects and said this would benefit both the investors and the local inhabitants. “Tourism will generate more working opportunities and will stabilize the local society whose members would not need to migrate to big cities anymore,” he said.

Sultan met with Jordan’s Prime Minister Maroof Al-Bakheet on the sidelines of the ongoing conference on Thursday. The leaders discussed cooperation between the two countries in the field of tourism and antiquities during the meeting.

Al-Bakheet expressed his appreciation for the close relations between the two countries. He thanked the prince for the favorable treatment of Kingdom toward Jordan.

Sultan also conveyed the greetings of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah to Jordan’s King Abdallah, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The prince said Saudi tourism industry drew lessons from the Jordanian touristic experience. He described Jordan as a school that is systematic and organized in this field.