The Tourism Authority in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been in charge of the tourism sector and has made significant efforts to develop it. There are numerous heritage and archaeological landmarks in the Kingdom, as well as picturesque natural landmarks, nature reserves, and recreational areas that attract tourists. The Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage has begun to develop recreational areas and hold various events in preparation for the influx of tourists to the Kingdom.
The efforts of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Commission for Tourism resulted in the achievement of the Kingdom 2030 vision, which aims to make the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia one of the most important tourist countries in the world, in addition to attracting a large number of tourists to Saudi Arabia annually.
In this article, we will discuss the Saudi Tourism Authority’s role in the development of tourism in Saudi Arabia. We will discuss the goals of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Commission for Tourism. In addition to the programs and activities provided by the Kingdom’s Supreme Commission for Tourism for the development of the tourism sector.
محتوى المقالة
The Saudi Tourism Authority and its role in the development of the tourism industry
In the year 2000, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia established the Supreme Commission for Tourism. Its name was changed to become a new name in 2015. (The General Authority for Tourism and National Heritage). The Saudi Tourism Authority has sixteen branches located throughout the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The main goal of establishing the Saudi Tourism Authority is to take care of all the Kingdom’s properties and develop them, particularly the tourist and recreational facilities, in order to attract tourists from all over the world.
The Saudi Tourism Authority concentrated on domestic tourism, hosting numerous events and festivals and establishing numerous centers, facilities, and entertainment cities. It also looked after all of the Kingdom’s cities, as well as their natural and geographical components, antiquities, and heritage. This is to promote domestic tourism and encourage citizens and residents to spend their summer vacation, official holidays, and events within the Kingdom and enjoy attending entertainment events and festivals.
Furthermore, it hosted many important personalities, including artists and actors, to perform at concerts and festivals throughout the Kingdom. Many seasons have also been held, with a wide range of diverse entertainment, art, sports, historical, and other events. The Riyadh season, the Jeddah season, the Eastern season, the Abha season, and other seasons are among the most important to encourage tourism within the Kingdom.
Tourism and Antiquities General Authority
It is worth noting that the Tourism Authority in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was established in stages until it reached its current form, and we will refer to the decisions made regarding the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities:
- In order to emphasize that tourism is based on a major productive sector at the Kingdom level, the Saudi Council of Ministers issued Resolution No. Nine for the year one thousand four hundred and twenty-one Hijri, which stipulates the establishment of the Supreme Commission for Tourism.
- Particularly in terms of attracting Saudi citizens for domestic tourism to the Kingdom, as well as the high rate of foreign investment in the Kingdom, raising the level of national human potential and working to develop it, and not forgetting the availability of new job opportunities for Saudi citizens.
- Then, in the year 1424 Hijri, a royal order was issued to include the Antiquities Agency in the Saudi Tourism Authority, and thus the authority became responsible for everything related to the antiquities sector, in addition to its responsibility centered on the tourism sector.
- In the year one thousand four hundred and twenty-nine Hijri, the Council of Ministers issued Resolution No. seventy-eight, which changed the name of the Supreme Commission for Tourism to the Supreme Commission for Tourism and Antiquities.
This is to confirm that the tourism sector in the Kingdom has become a national reality to which the state pays attention, in addition to the responsible authorities planning for the sector’s development and growth.
Tourism Elements in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
The Saudi Tourism Authority is still very interested in the tourism industry, as well as its monuments, natural landmarks, and recreational areas. In a previous article, we learned about four of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s tourism components, and in the following points, we will discuss some of the tourism components that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia enjoys:
- The Kingdom has a strategic geographical location, and we must not forget the vast area over which the Kingdom’s lands extend, as well as the varying terrain with varying climates and landscapes.
- The Kingdom is home to a vast number of archaeological treasures and rare historical sites, as well as ancient museums displaying pieces from ancient civilizations throughout the ages.
- The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is distinguished by its wonderful cultural heritage and the unique customs and traditions enjoyed by the people of the Kingdom of generosity, generosity, and well-known hospitality.
- The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is distinguished by the beaches that extend along the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf coasts, as well as the various waters, fish, coral reefs, and other factors that attract tourists.
- The Kingdom enjoys political stability, distinguished security policy, and societal development, as well as a thriving economy.
- The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is well-known for its extensive infrastructure and modern services offered to citizens, residents, and visitors alike.
What are the Saudi Tourism Authority’s goals and mission?
It is worth noting that the primary goal of establishing the Saudi Tourism Authority is to give full attention to the tourism sector in all aspects of the Kingdom, through development and organization, and do not forget that the Ministry of Tourism is already working to strengthen the tourism sector’s role while overcoming obstacles and solving problems.
The Ministry of Tourism is working to align the tourism sector’s role and means of development with the values and position of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, one of the most important Islamic countries, with a focus on the Kingdom’s role in human civilization and how it affects society.
One of the Tourism Authority’s goals is for the number of tourist visits to the Kingdom to reach 100 million per year by 2030. Furthermore, the Saudi Tourism Authority’s efforts are consistent with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.
Programs and activities of the Kingdom’s Supreme Commission for Tourism
The Supreme Commission for Tourism and the Tourism Commission’s staff continue to pay close attention to the tourism programs and activities that the Commission launches on a regular basis to promote the tourism sector and tourist destinations. One of these programs is the General Commission for Tourism and National Heritage’s comprehensive program.
The project’s goal is to have the Old City of Jeddah, also known as the country, added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. The primary goal is to create a long-term framework for heritage cooperation between the United Nations system and the General Authority for Tourism and National Heritage.
Which revolves around the strategic national endeavor of diversifying economic activities, as well as increased assistance to various promising service sectors, the most important of which is tourism, in addition to building the institutional capacities of the Kingdom’s Tourism Authority, and not forgetting to provide important advisory services to fulfill the authority’s mandate and role.
The following is a list of the General Authority for Tourism and National Heritage’s programs and activities.
1- Planning for the establishment of the NEOM project, which he referred to as the “future city,” which will be built on the Red Sea coasts and equipped with cutting-edge technology.
2- Making it easier to obtain the electronic tourist visa, which was introduced in 2019.
3- Launching the Red Sea Project for Saudi Tourism, with the goal of preparing 50 natural islands to welcome tourists.
4- Establishment of the Amala medical tourism project, which will be located in the northwest of the Kingdom.
5- Imposing fees and fines for those who do not keep public places and parks clean.
6- Paying attention to rural and agricultural areas, as well as exploiting natural resources, in order to transform the desert into beautiful green spaces
7- The establishment of special facilities for the reception of tourists
8- Organizing numerous festivals, parties, events, and seasons in various cities throughout the Kingdom
9- The establishment of the Saudi city of Qiddiya, southwest of Riyadh, as a recreational, sports, and cultural project.
10- Emphasis on internal tourism for citizens and residents of the Kingdom
11- Revitalizing the economy so that tourism generates the majority of the Kingdom’s revenue.
The importance of the Saudi Tourism Authority
Tourism employees and the Saudi Tourism Authority are attempting to achieve the project’s objectives, which include the following:
- Working on a master tourism plan for the areas of tourism development in Saudi Arabia in general, as well as some specific tourist destinations.
- Reviewing a list of policy discussion papers, evaluating them, and leaving comments, while keeping in mind the importance of preparing them in accordance with international standards.
- Responding to requests for conducting situation studies by implementing best procedures and practices.
- Creating master plans for two tourist attractions, one in the Arabian Gulf and one on the Red Sea coast.
- Establishing and activating a national center for the promotion of handicrafts.
- Educating one hundred and eighteen national tourist guides in rural areas with archaeological sites.
- Identifying and enacting a distinct set of legal regulations in response to the high level of private sector investment in the tourism sector.
How to Become a Member of the Tourism Authority
You can log in at the Tourism Authority, but here are the steps to take if you want to register as a new user:
- You must visit the Ministry of Tourism’s official website, which you can access by clicking here:
- The user will find the terms of the user agreement, which must be carefully read, and after finishing the reading, click on the empty box next to the consent box.
- At the bottom of the page, click the Next button.
- You will be taken to a new page concerned with personal data and contact, where the fields are supposed to be filled in with the necessary data from the passport number, which serves as the user name.
- In Arabic, write the first name, the names of the father and grandfather, as well as the last name, followed by the first name, the names of the father and grandfather, and the last name in English. The nationality is chosen by selecting from the available list, as well as specifying male or female gender and writing the user’s date of birth.
- The user begins to enter contact information from the e-mail and mobile number, making sure to include the country and city.
- When you click the Next button, you will be taken to the password page, where you can create a strong password using uppercase and lowercase English letters, numbers, and symbols.
- The user then selects the following box to proceed to the final page concerned with logging in, where the user must attach the passport or national identity card, click on Finish, and the user can log in to the site by entering the user name and password.
- It should be noted that the Ministry disclaims any responsibility for any damage to the user’s account as a result of incorrect data entry, as well as the account’s validity and continuity.
Conclusion
In this article, we discussed the Tourism Authority’s role in developing tourism in Saudi Arabia, as well as the Saudi Tourism Authority’s goals and mission. In addition to the programs and activities of the Kingdom’s Supreme Commission for Tourism for the development of the tourism sector. Where the Saudi Tourism Authority and National Heritage looked after the Kingdom’s tourism potential and worked to develop them in order to achieve its tourism development goals.
The Ministry of Tourism is one of the ministries in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that has worked hard to make Saudi Arabia one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations. As a result, dear reader, if you are interested in tourism in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, you can read our articles on the Visitors of Saudi Arabia blog and learn more about the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as well as the most important tourist attractions in Saudi Arabia and its tourist places.