The Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) is establishing a national tourism investment infrastructure program that will include the development of allied sectors in order to ensure the sustainable delivery of tourism products and services. Prince Sultan Bin Salman Bin Abdul Aziz, Secretary General of the SCTA, stressed the setting up of a tourism investment plan as he announced last week the holding of the Second Saudi Tourism and Travel Investment Market (STTIM) to be held in Riyadh, sometime in March 2009. The SCTA has already expanded its control of tourism related agencies and sectors, such as museums and antiquities, accommodation facilities such as hotels and furnished apartments, and companies in the travel and tourism sector. The national tourism investment infrastructure program will implement investment programs and projects for these sectors, including the application of automation and information technology and employment of more Saudis, including women. In the Eastern Province, the latest company that has successfully implemented automation in its operation is Al-Mojil Travel & Tourism. This establishment was cited by Amadeus International for Automated Distribution for having productively implemented automated distribution of transactions for the last three years. The company is now opening a women's section in its branch in Al-Khobar to be staffed by 12 well trained Saudi women. The tourism investment infrastructure will define the best international guidelines in attracting investors, including the procedures for obtaining investment permits. SCTA in its annual report last year said that it carried out 71 projects and allocated SR123.4 million for their implementation. The tourism investment infrastructure will focus mostly on the development of local tourism. Domestic tourism in Saudi Arabia is set to grow rapidly, according to a recent report by the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency, which forecast that total income from domestic tourism will reach SR73.3 billion in 2010 and SR101.3 billion 2020. The Saudi Council of Ministers has already approved the allocation of SR143 billion to fund the Kingdom's tourism development strategy. Huge development projects are under way along the Red Sea at a cost of nearly SR150 billion. The new resorts will be established in Arrayes in Yanbu, Ras Muhaisen in Makkah region, Haridha in Asir region, Fursan in Jizan, and Ras Humaid, Sharma, Qayyal and Dhaffat Al-Wajh in Tabuk region. These local projects are aimed to increase the share of the tourism industry in the country's gross domestic product, which is forecast to grow from six to 16 percent by 2020. The tourism sector, including from Haj and Umrah, currently contributes six percent to the country's GDP or SR55 billion. __
