The National Program for Exhibitions and Conferences (NPEC) will begin operations from November this year, although Sept. 6 will be the deadline for submitting requests for holding exhibitions in 2014.

Abdullah Al-Jehani, supervisor of the establishment of NPEC, said that the Council of Ministers agreed to convert the Standing Committee of Exhibitions and Conferences to a national program for a period of five years in May to develop and regulate the exhibitions and conferences that are going to be held in the Kingdom.

"During the past three months, the program has been making arrangements to transfer jurisdiction of the Standing Committee to the National Program," Al-Jehani said.