Ahmed Al-Khateeb. IMage courtesy: Saudi Gazette
Saudi Arabia to set up global academy of tourism
RIYADH, September 10, 2020
Saudi Arabia's cabinet has given the go ahead for the kingdom's Ministry of Tourism to open a regional office of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in Riyadh and also set up a global academy for tourism.
The approval was given at the weekly session of the cabinet chaired by King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
The meeting also decided to establish a global academy for tourism training in Saudi Arabia, Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb was quoted as saying by Saudi Gazette.
He pointed out that the ministry, in cooperation with UNWTO, would work to lay the foundations and standards that enable the proposed academy to be among the best tourism academies in the world.
Al-Khateeb said the kingdom has put in place initiatives for the recovery of the global tourism sector, which was the worst hit sector from the coronavirus pandemic. These initiatives include creating a platform for the exchange of experiences in this field worldwide, he noted.
The minister said the initiative to revive the domestic tourism sector with the launching of the Saudi Summer season has received tremendous response from both citizens and expatriates.
Al-Khateeb hoped that the Kingdom, together with UNWTO, will launch a set of initiatives to develop the tourism sector in the region.