Deputy Governor of the Makkah Region and Assistant to Development Affairs Professor Ziad bin Mohammed Ghdaif launched “Made in Makkah” initiative in Makkah recently.

Ghdaif attributed it to the encouragement and approval of Prince Sultan bin Salman as well as the President of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA), the Chairman of the Supervisory Committee of the National Program for Culture and Handicrafts (Barea), Prince Mishaal bin Abdullah, the Governor of Makkah Region, as well as the Chairman of the Tourist Development Council in Makkah, for the initiative.

The meeting brought together all the concerned authorities of the SCTA including Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Omari, the SCTA executive director in Makkah, who assured all his support for the initiative. The event also drew the strong interest of Prince Sultan bin Salman.

Tourism, Development and Investment Executive Director Ahmed Essa stressed the importance of crafts, handicrafts and the role of the national program in establishing a profitable trade in the economic sector based on handicrafts.

Essa emphasised that the role of “Made in Makkah” is very important for the national economy and culture, as it is one of the leading initiatives in which we see handicrafts and other related things reaping their own harvest.

All those in attendance at the meeting confirmed their readiness to fully support the initiative, and all expect it to achieve high-quality results for the national economy and society.

The meeting concluded with a number of recommendations, the most important being the formation of an executive committee headed by Hassan Bait Al-Mal, the director general of local affairs in the Emirate of Makkah Region.

According to the group, a committee should meet on a regular basis over three months to ensure that results are being achieved through a practical workflow strategy, and a good marketing scheme.