Tourism & Hospitality | Sunday 5 June, 2016 6:15 am |

The Saudi Vision 2030 development initiative announced by Deputy Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman has rejuvenated the Kingdom’s tourism sector as the strategic plan aims to increase the revenue generated from tourism to 18 percent in the next 14 years.

The vision also aims to establish an Islamic museum, which will draw a large number of tourists, including foreign pilgrims who visit the Kingdom for Haj and Umrah.

Economic analysts expect that by 2020 the number of tourists visiting the Kingdom would increase from 200,000 to 1.5 million.

Ibrahim Al-Rashid, chairman of the tourism committee at Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said investment of every $1 million in the tourism sector would create 167 direct and indirect jobs.

“Tourism is one of the focal points of the government’s strategy to strengthen the economy and reduce dependence on oil revenue,” Al-Rashid told Okaz/Saudi Gazette.

“Tourism offers the best investment opportunities,” he said, while emphasizing the sector’s ability to create jobs for young Saudi men and women.

Al-Rashid disclosed plans to establish a tourism investment fund. “The cooperation between the public and private sectors would boost the sector,” he added.

Abdullah Al-Rajhi, a member of the tourism committee, said Prince Muhammed Bin Salman has emphasized the tourism sector’s role in the Kingdom’s economic transformation.

“Saudi Arabia being the cradle of Islam needs a big Islamic museum,” he said, adding that the Vision 2030 would bring about a qualitative growth in the tourism sector.

He highlighted the Kingdom’s tourism potentials. “We have world famous tourism sites such as Madain Saleh, Ukhdood and other historical landmarks,” he said.

Al-Rajhi stressed the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs’ role in identifying new tourism sites across the country.

Khaled Al-Toul, a member of the Tourist Guides Association, said Saudi Arabia has more than 10,000 historical rock engravings, according to a study conducted by King Saud University.

“Tourism is a renewable revenue source and will not deplete like oil,” he said. “It’s one of the main sources of revenue for many countries in the world,” he added.

Saudi Arabia has the heritage of civilizations that date back to 10,000 years, Al-Toul said while thanking Prince Muhammad Bin Salman for his promise to issue tourist visas.

Prince Sultan Bin Salman, president of Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage, has already endorsed the post-Umrah tourism program that allows pilgrims to convert their Umrah visas into tourist visas and visit different hot spots in the country. The Kingdom receives more than 8 million Umrah pilgrims from abroad annually.

“If we can attract 200,000 pilgrims for domestic tourism in the first year it would be a big achievement,” Al-Toul said. He highlighted the role of museums in attracting tourists. “Most countries have military museums and we should also have one where we can showcase achievements of the Operation Decisive Storm (to liberate Yemen) and the Desert Storm (to liberate Kuwait),” he said.