Riyadh Gov. Prince Turki bin Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz and Prince Sultan bin Salman, president and board chairman of the Saudi Commission for Tourism & Antiquities (SCTA), will patronize the 2nd Saudi Convention and Exhibitions Forum, to be held from Nov. 9 to 11.

The forum, which will be held at the Ritz-Carlton in Riyadh, is being organized under the auspices of the government in anticipation of the increased number of exhibitions and conventions in the Kingdom in the near future.

“The forum aims to create a platform for communication among those involved in the development of the exhibition and convention sector,” said Tariq A. Al-Essa, Saudi Exhibition & Convention Bureau (SECB) executive director.

In a meeting with forum sponsors and the media, Al-Essa, an engineer, said: “There are indications that the Kingdom will be the venue of many conventions, conferences and exhibitions in the future.”

He added that aside from being the center of Islam, Saudi Arabia also has the biggest economy in the region and as such, it is bound to become the center of commerce, trade and industry.

Al-Essa also said that the so-called Saudi Association will be held on the first day of the three-day forum.

“SECB’s aim is to bring key people, including decision-makers, to work with Saudi professionals and enhance their capacity and competence in the organization of events, conferences and exhibitions,” he said.

The second and third day will feature six sessions and workshops. Nine well-known speakers from different countries have been scheduled to address the forum.

Other speakers include Abdullah S. Al-Jehani, president and supervisor of the SECB establishment, and Zohair Al-Saraj of the Specialist Group, the forum’s event organizer.

Al-Essa expressed his thanks to the 38 sponsors present on the occasion. A total of 40 sponsors pledged their support to the forum.