New touch screen technology will soon be introduced at all Saudi airports, seaports, entertainment and tourist sites. The introduction of the technology would go a long way to attract foreign tourists thus promoting the tourism sector in the Kingdom. The touch screen technology is the brainchild of Zaki Mohammed Ali Farsi, owner of Farsi Geotech Group, and will be introduced under the supervision of Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities. “We have received support from the Saudi government for building the largest database mapping and information and huge computer database of the Kingdom and its major cities,” said Usama Al-Nabulsi, supervisor of the digital maps and touch screens' project. According to Al-Nabulsi, several kinds of maps had been produced to serve the tourists' needs. “We have already produced Paper Map, Digital Map, and Multimedia CD for major cities such as Jeddah, Madina, Makkah, Dammam, and Riyadh,” he said. The touch screens are three-dimensional maps with special catalogues containing important information and services provided to tourists in and outside the Kingdom, added Al-Nabulsi. Each tourist or user, according to Al-Nabulsi, will get the informational that he needs. The screens that will be available in seaports will be different from those installed at airports, entertainment sites, hotels, and malls, he said. “The new technology will allow us to provide government institutions with most recent geographical database in the Kingdom, and help companies use these maps for developing their projects and implementing their plans,” he said. The aim behind launching this system, he said, was to have new geographical database, depending on the geographical maps, with the support of satellite. “From now on, any normal citizen or a tourist will be able to define his location, where to go and how to reach a certain place without the need to seek help from others,” he said. Another kind of electronic catalogue for mobiles and laptops will also be made available, he said.
