based Al-Jazeerah said tourism is no longer confined to recreation purposes, but it has also become a great source of income and a major industry for economic growth. Pointing out that some countries depend on tourism revenues, the daily said the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been giving utmost attention to this sector which constitutes a source of the national income. The paper pointed noted that the citizens have started to spend their holidays inside the country. "In addition, a large number of tourists are also coming to Saudi Arabia from the neighboring Gulf States." In 2008, the number of tourists from inside the country amounted to about 29 million and they spent about SR 37.5 billion, said the daily. The daily believes that tourism is a diversified sector and it is capable of solving several problems like employing tens of thousands of youth who look for jobs opportunities. The number of tourism establishments in the Kingdom jumped from 29,000 in 2004 to about 42,000 in 2008, it added.
