Prince Sultan bin Salman, president of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA), has said that the main challenge facing the Kingdom is not to build new cities but to make existing cities more “human-friendly.”
Addressing a forum organized by King Abdullah Economic City, Prince Sultan emphasized the need for building Saudi cities on the basis of the Kingdom’s cultural heritage and social values. Highlighting the remarkable progress made by the Kingdom’s tourism sector in recent years, he said: “Saudi tourism did not start from zero. It has been part and parcel of our culture.”
The SCTA chief stressed the importance of preserving the identity of the Kingdom’s cities and principalities.
Emphasizing the tourism sector’s role in boosting the country’s economy, he said: “Tourism is not merely an entertainment sector, but an important economic sector involving projects and services.”
Prince Sultan believed that the SR2.5 billion Al-Hoqair tourism project in Al-Ahsa would be a big success thanks to its strategic location. “It would help attract a lot of domestic and foreign investment,” he said.
“Saudi tourism is poised to record the highest growth in the Middle East,” he pointed out, and hoped that Taif would continue to attract large numbers of tourists in the coming years.
