Crown Prince Naif has given the ministries of Haj and Foreign Affairs the go-ahead to work on an integrated system to link Umrah and tourist visas, Prince Sultan Bin Salman, president of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA), announced Tuesday. Addressing a debate organized by Okaz organization – the parent company of Saudi Gazette – at its headquarters in Jeddah, Prince Sultan said his tours as a commoner to various parts of the Kingdom led him to places that more than 95 percent of the Saudi people may have never seen. “I feel sorry that Saudis do not enjoy the uncountable gifts Almighty Allah has bestowed on this country,” he said. “SCTA is aspiring for the day when citizens fully live in the country, rather than merely reside in it.” “The commission has a great responsibility to get the citizens out of social networking sites to historic Islamic sites which have witnessed mankind's history change and then to the areas where the battles for the country's unification were fought.” The total cost of all projects being carried out in the Kingdom amounts to SR290 billion, he said, adding that there would have been more projects had there been more contractors and economists available. Prince Sultan said he is not satisfied with what the tourism sector has achieved so far. “There is still huge potential in the field and it needs investment,” he said. Tourism is the second largest sector in the Kingdom and most of its jobs have been Saudized, he added.
