A new company with capital of SR6 billion is going to be set up to develop tourist sites in the Al-Ahsa governorate. This is according to Fahd Al-Jubair, Mayor of Al-Ahsa Governorate. He said the mayoralty is planning to develop a number of sites, including Mount Al-Qarah, Al-Oqair Beach and Al-Asfar Lake. Al-Jubair said royal approval has been given for the establishment of the Al-Oqair Tourism Company with the aim of developing Al-Oqair Beach. At the end of the year, the partnership between the Al-Oqair Tourist Beach and the Al-Oqair Tourist City will be started with the launch of the Al-Oqair company. This is in partnership with the Al-Ahsa Mayoralty, the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA), General Investments Fund (GIF) and a number of government authorities. Al-Jubair said the new company will carry out the huge tourism project on a site of 100 million square meters. The company will have capital of SR6 billion to develop and invest in the area. The company will be the investment arm of the mayoralty, the SCTA and GIF. The mayoralty will have a 20 to 25 percent stake in the company, which will manage, market and operate the mega tourism projects. After the company is established in 2011, tourist resorts, recreation facilities, commercial complexes, museums and hotels will be constructed in the area allocated for tourism. Al-Jubair said the project will be completed at the end of 2015. It will provide 60,000 job opportunities for the entire project. In the future, the mayoralty intends to expand Al-Ahsa governorate toward Al-Oqair Beach and to convert Al-Ahsa into a coastal urban area. It is now still a desert area.
