The Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) has closed down three unlicensed tour operators in Riyadh.

Abdul Rahman bin Essa Al-Jasas, executive director of the SCTA in Riyadh, said on Tuesday that members of the commission and the police confiscated printed materials and removed portable kiosks inside various buildings.

Al-Jasas said the SCTA works with local authorities to close down operators offering substandard tourism packages to the public. He said the SCTA has signed partnerships with licensed tour operators to develop the local industry.

He said the SCTA established an advisory committee to develop the skills of employees in the sector. The SCTA has licensed 173 tour operators in the country.


It approved 375 tourism programs between 2009 and 2012, which are listed under its marketing campaigns.