MUSCAT: Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Tourism and Chairman of the Executive Council of UNWTO Ahmed bin Aqeel Al-Khateeb participated in the Investing in Tourism: Opportunities and Challenges in Sustainable Financing Conference which centered around the theme of Effective Partnerships in Financing the Tourism Sector.
The conference was held during the 50th meeting of the Regional Committee for the Middle East in Muscat, reported Saudi Press Agency.
During a dialogue session at the conference, Minister Al-Khateeb underscored Saudi Arabia’s commitment to collaborating with UNWTO member states in the Middle East to bolster the region’s tourism sector, recognizing its global significance.
He emphasized the Middle East’s abundance of resources conducive to successful investments in tourism, envisioning the region as a premier global tourist destination offering a comprehensive array of attractions.
Highlighting Saudi Arabia’s strides in tourism development in alignment with Vision 2030, Minister Al-Khateeb noted a notable increase in the sector’s contribution to the Kingdom’s economy, rising from 3% to 4.5% by the end of the previous year. The overarching ambition is to elevate this contribution to 10% by 2030.
He stated, “The Kingdom will revolutionize the global tourism map, and the opportunities and support we offer to investors will make the tourism sector more appealing. We are taking distinctive steps to build the sector.”
