JEDDAH, 3 September 2005 — The Supreme Commission for Tourism (SCT) plans to develop the Nabatean city of Madain Saleh and other historic sites in Al-Ula as well as the battlegrounds in Badr, Uhd, Khandaq and Khaibar as part of a tourism development strategy.
The commission, according to a report carried by Al-Madinah Arabic daily, has identified six sites in the region as potential tourist hotspots. They include Madinah city, Al-Ula, Yanbu, Al-Rayes, Badr and Khaibar.
The 20-year strategy aims at promoting the Madinah region as one of the leading tourist centers in the Kingdom. It includes development of coastal areas in Yanbu on the Red Sea to establish tourist resorts and recreation centers.
The Madinah region hosts a large number of historic sites, most important of them being those related to the life of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the first Islamic state he founded.
The Madinah region requires more infrastructure projects including roads, hotels and residential apartments in order to meet the growing needs of tourists. At present Madinah has only 41 hotels with 9,500 rooms, 800 restaurants and 54 travel agents.
The remnants of the historic Hejaz Railway, which was built by the Ottoman rulers and destroyed during World War I, also draws large number of visitors.
The Madinah Municipality recently razed the Aqiq Bridge, which was part of the railway, drawing outrage from both historians and residents. The bridge suffered structural damage during last year’s floods.
The Hejaz Railway was originally built in 1908 to transport pilgrims from Damascus to Madinah, where they would travel on to Makkah for the Haj. The idea was first mooted in 1864 during the height of the age of great railways around the world, but it was not until 40 years later that the Hejaz Railway came into being.
Madain Saleh, home to 131 tombs of Nabatean tribes who settled and flourished in the area around 500 BC, is another major attraction in the Madinah region. Hundreds of people, mostly expatriates, visit the site every year. The government has constructed a new road to Madain Saleh from Al-Ula, one of the oldest human settlements. The city badly needs infrastructure development to facilitate the movement of tourists.
The SCT has taken a series of steps in recent years to strengthen the Kingdom’s tourism industry. According to Prince Sultan, secretary-general of the commission, tourism projects worth SR50 billion will be established in various parts of the country.
“We’ll establish coastal resorts on the Red Sea and operate tourist centers in the Kingdom’s rural areas to ensure continuous development of urban and rural areas and promote domestic tourism,” he explained.
He underlined government efforts to preserve the Kingdom’s architectural heritage. There are 6,366 heritage and antiquities sites in the Kingdom; of that number, 1,975 come under architectural heritage.
Building a robust tourism sector contributes effectively to the local economy. “It is beyond doubt that achieving and enhancing this sector depends, for the most part, on a cultured, friendly and motivated society,” Prince Sultan said.
A report issued by the International Tourism Organization said that 7.3 million people visited the Kingdom last year with 3.5 million coming for Umrah, 1.3 million for Haj and 2.5 million for medical treatment and conferences.
Saudi tourist cities require 129,000 hotel rooms and 74,000 furnished apartments to accommodate a growing number of tourists from within and outside, according to a study conducted the commission.
The study pointed out tourism would solve many problems being faced by the country including unemployment, low living standard, migration to major cities and pressure on public utility services. It will also boost the country’s diversification drive.
The study expected the Kingdom’s tourism revenue to reach SR101 billion by the year 2020, with tourist flights rising to 1,411 million including 128 million domestic flights.
