Monday, October 16, 2017

MADINAH – The Tourism after Umrah Program has begun coordinating with local tourism and Umrah companies to target visitors from more than 65 countries, according to Muhamad Al-Amr, director of the Makkah branch of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage.

The program aims to turn visitors who come for Umrah to tourists after they perform the rituals, Al-Madina newspaper reported.

It said the expansion of tourist projects would create more job opportunities for Saudis. Statistics indicate that the tourism sector will provide 300,000 direct job opportunities while 800,000 indirect opportunities will be generated in the field of entertainment.

Muhammad Alawi, chairman of the Commercial Centers Committee at Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the expansion of religious tourism would reduce the Kingdom's dependence on oil.

The commission’s program will help Umrah performers get to know more about the museums and archeological sites in the Kingdom, he said.

“We have more than 70 entertainment cities, 360 malls and 105 traditional markets in Jeddah, which receive 7 million visitors annually. The volume of investment in hotels and entertainment facilities and spas exceeded SR370 billion. The retail sector is one of the most attractive areas for local and foreign investors because it has a strong infrastructure and solid growth potential,” he said.

Ahmed Ghouth, CEO of Financial Expert Company, said religious tourism is a part and parcel of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030. Many mega projects will be implemented in Makkah, which will give the city a new face in the next ten years.

Source: http://saudigazette.com.sa/article/519444/SAUDI-ARABIA/Umrah-tourism-to-target-65-states