Top officials from the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA), the Saudi Tourism and Travel Bureau (STTB) and other related agencies will attend the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) Global Summit in Abu Dhabi taking place on Apr. 10-11.

“Former President Bill Clinton, founder of the of the William J. Clinton Foundation and 42nd US president, will deliver the keynote address during the summit, along with more than 40 leading public figures,” the organizers said in a statement.

The Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority and Etihad Airways are the hosts of the event, which will be taking place at the five-star Jumeirah Hotel in the Etihad Towers.

David Scowsill, president and CEO of WTTC said, “The 2013 WTTC Global Summit will explore the implications of our dramatically changing world economy and growing population in the travel and tourism industry. Four months after the world celebrated its one billionth traveler, the summit will examine what we need to do collectively to prepare for the next billion.”

James Hogan, Etihad Airways president and CEO, added, “The WTTC Summit provides an extraordinary opportunity to showcase the remarkable emergence of Abu Dhabi as a global economic center and a hub for tourism and aviation.”

Last year alone, 70,765 guests from the Kingdom visited Abu Dhabi, a 16 percent increase compared to the previous year, according to a senior official from the Abu Dhabi Authority for Tourism & Culture.

According to Hogan, during the past four years, Saudi Arabia has emerged as the fifth largest tourist market for Abu Dhabi, adding that a “tour of the Kingdom in 2012 was proof of the strategic importance that Saudi market plays in helping us achieve our tourism objectives.”

The official added that 36,430 Saudi tourists stayed for 79,307 nights at hotels in Abu Dhabi during the first half of 2012, marking an increase of about 37 percent over the same period the previous year.

He said the number of hotel occupants in Abu Dhabi rose by about 17 percent during the month of June, with 6,661 Saudi tourists visiting the city, marking an increase of 57 percent compared to the previous year.

“Our hotels offer 50 percent discounts on all services extended to Saudi tourists,” he explained.

He considered the geographical proximity, the social bonds and similarities in traditions, habits and cultures to be among the top factors attracting Saudis to Abu Dhabi, whether for business, pleasure or to attend conferences.

He said that although many of the tourists from the Kingdom arrive in Abu Dhabi by land, Etihad Airways, the national carrier of the UAE, operates 42 weekly flights from Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam, while Saudi Arabian Airways (Saudia) runs daily flights from Riyadh and Jeddah to the UAE.

He further said that the TCA Abu Dhabi has prepared a number of touristic programs and shows specially designed to attract Saudi tourists.

Other speakers during the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) Global Summit include Sir David Frost, British journalist and media personality; Daryl Hannah, American actress and activist; Sir Jonathan Porritt, environmentalist; and David de Rothschild, adventurer and environmentalist.