The United Nations' World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), has lauded the development of tourism sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during the year 2009. The facts and figures report showed a hike of the given numbers, which reflected the success of Saudi efforts to promote sustainable tourism, focusing on domestic tourism to elevate tourism services to the international standards, through the establishment of professional tourism associations to be responsible for the development of tourism related to human resources, and the establishment of a committee to oversee the tourism training programs in collaboration with Human Resources Development Fund and Ministry of Labor. SCTA's report entitled "The road map for the promotion of tourism and travel (the primary means of job creation and economic recovery)", which was presented to the ministers and officials from 153 Member States of the Organization, indicated that Saudi government had increased the budget allocation of the tourism sector by 11% to SR 385 million in the fiscal year 2009, and also approved bank-financing of small and medium-sized antiquities projects. It is noteworthy that Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, President of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) has led the Saudi delegation to the 18th session of the general Assembly of United Nations' World Tourism Organization recently concluded in Kazakhstan Capital.
