The SR2.5 billion Uqair tourism development project in the eastern city of Al-Ahsa would be launched after Eid Al-Fitr, Prince Sultan bin Salman, president of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) announced on Thursday.

“Domestic tourism in Saudi Arabia has achieved substantial growth in recent years, despite the lack of infrastructure facilities,” he said, adding that it achieved a growth rate of 12.5 percent in 2013 with 2.1 million traveling to enjoy Saudi tourist attractions last June.

Quoting statistics provided by SCTA’s research center MAS, Prince Sultan said the total tourism expenditure this year rose to SR3.4 billion from SR3 billion last year. The number of Saudis going out of the Kingdom for tourism reached 2.3 million in June compared to 2.1 million during the same period last year.

The spending on foreign tourism grew from SR6.9 billion to SR7.5 billion.

He described Uqair as a major tourism project in the Kingdom, adding that it would contribute to attracting tourists from other Gulf countries. The formation of a tourism development and investment company would boost tourism projects in the country, he said.

Tourism has already created more than 189,000 jobs for Saudis by 2012 and they account for 27 percent of workers in the sector. “The tourism is expected to witness big progress in the next two years,” he added.