The Jeddah Shopping Festival 2012 will be organized by the JCCI in cooperation with the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) and several other business sectors.
A number of businessmen and economists joined the press conference to highlight the main aim of the festival.
“The festival will play an important role in developing the commercial sector of the Kingdom. It will serve all society segments, as citizens, tourists, pilgrims and Umrah performers will all benefit from this festival,” Sheikh Saleh Kamel, chairman of JCCI, said.
Kamel stated that Jeddah was considered the tourism gate of the Kingdom. For that reason it had been chosen to host the first shopping festival in Saudi Arabia.
“We will work to support the retail and tourism sectors, such as hotels, entertainment venues and resorts, and encourage them to reduce their prices. The second aim of the event is to attract the largest possible number of pilgrims, visitors and residents,” he said.
Kamel added that the JCCI had developed a strategic marketing and integrated media campaign to give the festival a positive image and to deliver its message in a modern way to the audience they target.
According to Kamel, Jeddah receives five million tourists yearly, excluding Umrah tourists, which is why the government wants to benefit from this number in advancing the economy of the city through shopping programs.
“The most important aim of the festival is to reduce the expenses of Saudis on shopping and tourism abroad. International statistics show that the number of Saudi tourists abroad is increasing each year, with the estimated number heading to four million. They spend more than $50 billion a year on tourism and purchases,” he said.
