Tag Archives: His Excellency Ahmed Al-Khateeb

His Excellency Ahmed Al-Khateeb, Saudi Arabia’s Minister for Tourism announced that the establishment of the UNWTO Regional Office for the Middle East in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia has been approved by UNWTO Executive Council members. The announcement was made in a statement at the 112th session of the UNWTO Executive Council, hosted in Georgia, Tbilisi. The new UNWTO Regional Office will serve as a hub for the UNWTO to 13 countries in the Middle East. The office will focus on building long-term growth for the sector and human capital development in the travel and tourism sector in the region. The office will also include a dedicated Statistics Center whose objective is to become the leading authority on tourism statistics for the region. In the statement, His Excellency Ahmed Al-Khateeb reiterated his continued support to the UNWTO. “International cooperation and the role of the UNWTO are more important than ever. I am therefore very excited that Saudi Arabia will become home to the first ever UNWTO Regional Office, which aims to support growth at a national and regional level. We hope this will provide a model for future collaborations around the world. Tourism not only boosts economies, it also builds bridges between cultures and enriches lives. It is one of the only sectors that is able to drive such tangible transformative change, on so many levels.” His Excellency Ahmed Al-Khateeb further highlighted the importance of tourism within the Kingdom’s vision and national strategy. “In Saudi Arabia, we are very aware of the transformative power of tourism on the economy and people. We may still be a young destination, but tourism is at the forefront of Saudi Arabia’s vision for the future,” said …

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Tourism has announced the formation of the Tourism Development Fund to boost growth across the sector. The fund will launch a range of equity and debt investment vehicles, with an initial $4bn (SAR 15bn) capital and $45bn (SAR 165bn) in memorandum of understanding(MoU) already signed with private banks.The Tourism Development Fund, which has been approved by Saudi Arabia’s Council of Ministers, will collaborate with private and investment banks to support private-sector developments and incentivize further investment across the industry. “The Tourism Development Fund will play a critical role in developing outstanding tourism experiences and unlocking the full potential of Saudi Arabia as a destination. The launch of the fund at this time, as the tourism sector faces unprecedented global challenges, is testament to investor and private-sector confidence in the long-term outlook for tourism in Saudi Arabia. The social and economic importance of the sector cannot be understated: it drives growth and diversification, attracts international investment, creates job opportunities and enhances quality of life for millions of Saudis,” said His Excellency Ahmed Al-Khateeb, Minister of Tourism. The National Development Fund, chaired by His Royal Highness, Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, has approved the appointment of five board members, who will bring a wealth of experience and investment expertise to the Tourism Development Fund. Board members are: Her Highness Princess Haifa Mohammed Al Saud, Vice Minister of Strategy and Investment at the Saudi Ministry of Tourism; His Excellency IhsanBafakih, Governor of the Real Estate General Authority; Mr. Stephen Groff, Governor of the National Development Fund; Mr. Mohammed Omran Al Omran, Member of the Board of Directors at Saudi British Bank; and Mr. Mohammed Al-Hokal, Member of the Board …

Saudi Arabia announced the ratification of a new Tourism Development Fund to help realise the long-term potential of Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector. The fund will contribute to the development of tourism projects attracting local and international investments and tourists, in addition to supporting the private sector in developing new and existing tourism destinations to drive economic growth, diversification and job creation across the Kingdom. “Our region hosts close to 85 million international, regional and domestic tourists each year. Not only does tourism create jobs and support economies, it enhances quality of life and deepens cultural understanding and exchange. Supporting the industry is critically important to the Arab Tourism Ministers Council,” said His Excellency Ahmed Al-Khateeb, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Tourism. He added, “The Middle East is leading the way on tourism readiness and we are committed to working together to ensure the health of all and develop innovative ways to reopen borders. We are putting measures in place so that we can safely welcome tourists back to share the diverse and unique treasures of the Arab region.” In 2019, across the Middle East and North Africa region the travel and tourism sector employed more than 4.6 million people and generated just under $120 billion in Gross Domestic Product (GDP). During the meeting, Ministers discuss substantive actions taken across the Arab world to support the tourism sector and prepare for recovery. Saudi Arabia became one of the first countries to support the World Travel and Tourism Council’s Safety Stamp, which aims to rebuild tourism confidence by standardising hygiene and safety protocols world-wide. Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates has shared its preparatory plans for safe reopening, and Egypt has outlined investments in …

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) hosted a virtual meeting with His Excellency Ahmed Al-Khateeb, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Tourism, and leaders from across the tourism industry, this week. During the meeting, WTTC shared data, revealing the potential global economic impact of COVID-19 on Travel & Tourism. WTTC Members’ high-profile CEOs discussed the impact of COVID-19 and the decisive action needed to protect over 75 million livelihoods that have been put at risk across the sector. The roundtable was chaired by WTTC President and CEO, Gloria Guevara, and H.E. Al-Khateeb, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Tourism and Chairperson of this year’s G20 Tourism Track. As one of the world’s most labour-intensive sectors, supporting 330 million jobs worldwide and one in four new jobs created on the planet in 2019, tourism must be at the heart of global response and recovery efforts. Latest research from WTTC shows the COVID-19 pandemic could result in a loss of up to $2.1 trillion in Travel & Tourism GDP to the world economy. H.E. Al-Khateeb stressed his commitment to working proactively with WTTC in coordinating with the private sector and shaping global crisis response measures to ensure travel and tourism is at the forefront of recovery efforts. H.E. Al Khateeb, said, “The challenge ahead lies in two phases: first in weathering the impact of COVID-19 on people’s lives and businesses and second in rebuilding from it.” He added, “As we work together to outline solutions for the private sector, we look forward to building a collective response for all types of businesses involved – from global conglomerates to the many micro, small and medium-sized enterprises that help make tourism a thriving and innovative industry. Guaranteeing …