- Title: SAUDI ARABIA: Country holds annual exhibition to boost tourism market
- Date: 1st April 2014
- Summary: RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA (MARCH 31, 2014) (REUTERS ) VISITORS ENTERING EXHIBITION HALL MALE VISITORS WALKING INSIDE HALL ONE OF THE EXHIBITION STALLS WITH SIGN READING (Arabic and English) 'ALHOKAIR GROUP' (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) HAMAD ALSHEIKH, VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING PROGRAMMES AT SAUDI HIGH COMMISSION FOR TOURISM AND ANTIQUITIES, SAYING: "Through this event, we aim to develop the tourism industry in the kingdom by offering facilities, opportunities and investment projects as the primary means for the development of local tourism. Our first target is to invest in local tourism." VISITORS BUYING TRADITIONAL SAUDI HANDMADE EMBROIDERIES PICTURE OF SAUDI KING ABDULAZIZ EMBROIDERED ON CLOTH WITH SIGN READING (Arabic) 'SAUDI CRAFT WORK' MALE VISITOR PAYING MONEY TO SELLER MONEY BEING HANDED TO SELLER (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) BANDAR AL-SHABIBI, VISITOR, SAYING: "What attracted me to buy this product is the quality, they have high quality products, so why not take advantage of them rather than buying them from abroad? The prices are also very reasonable. This annual exhibition gives us the opportunity to take advantage of local products." PICTURE OF SAUDI KING ON ONE OF THE PRODUCTS/ CRAFTSWOMAN (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) HIND AL-JURAID, CRAFTSWOMAN, SAYING: "We were trained by the Supreme Commission for Tourism on how to manufacture and market soap and carpets. This has increased our income." VARIOUS OF CRAFTSWOMAN WEAVING TRADITIONAL CARPET BANNER READING (Arabic and English) 'AL JOUF' (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) DR. JASIR AL-HERBISH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE TOURISM AND ANTIQUITIES IN QASSIM AREA, SAYING: "There are 20,000 craftsmen and craftswomen in the kingdom, there are also about 45 crafts registered in the country. This sector needs care and development, because it simply provides jobs and incomes for the local community." VISITORS TOURING THE EXHIBITION VARIOUS OF VISITORS SPEAKING TO REPRESENTATIVES OF 'FLYNAS' AIRLINE COMPANY A MODEL OF 'FLYNAS' AIRCRAFT (SOUNDBITE) (English) RAJA AZMI, FLYNAS CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, SAYING: "Well, we came to this fair to basically make ourselves known, much more known to the public, to advertise ourselves really, and also to tell them where we fly, because sometimes people don't really know how big we are. And we would like to tell them about some of our plans and so on and so forth, so that more people fly with us." VISITORS SEATED AT ONE OF THE EXHIBITOR'S STALL 'ANJUM HOTEL MEKKAH' STALL MODEL OF 'ANJUM HOTEL MEKKAH' STALL VARIOUS OF ANJUM GENERAL MANAGER SHOWING VISITOR THE FACILITIES OF THE HOTEL (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) AHMED SABRY, GENERAL MANAGER OF ANJUM MEKKAH HOTEL, SAYING: "Praise be to God, Anjum is the largest hotel in the Arab region, the GCC states and Africa. It consists of 1795 rooms and its capacity could fit four people in one room during the pilgrimage season." LOGO OF THE CITY OF NAJRAN WITH WRITING READING (Arabic) 'NAJRAN- HISTORY AND CIVILIZATION' VARIOUS OF CRAFTSMAN MAKING HAND MADE TRADITIONAL DAGGERS OF THE NAJRAN REGION VARIOUS OF AN EXHIBITOR AT THE NAJRAN SECTION SHOWING VISITORS DIFFERENT TYPES OF DAGGERS CLOSE OF DAGGER HELD BY EXHIBITOR
- Embargoed: 16th April 2014 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Saudi Arabia
- Country: Saudi Arabia
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVADWF97KUZ6KXLZYJCSUFIQFDPO
- Story Text: In a bid to boost the tourism industry and encourage local production, Saudi Arabia held its seventh Travel and Tourism Market (STTIM) in Riyadh showcasing a variety of services and crafts available across the country.
"Through this event, we aim to develop the tourism industry in the kingdom by offering facilities, opportunities and investment projects as the primary means for the development of local tourism. Our first target is to invest in local tourism," said Hamad AlSheikh Vice President of Marketing Programmes at Saudi High Commission for Tourism and Antiquities.
The tourism industry will become the biggest employer in Saudi Arabia in less than a decade, employing nearly 1.8 million people by 2020, local media reported quoting the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA) last year.
In addition to its focus on the tourism sector, the fair also provided a stage for local craftsmen and traders to show off their products.
Visitors looked on as craftswomen used traditional weaving techniques to create colourful rugs.
"What attracted me to buy this product is the quality, they have high quality products, so why not take advantage of them rather than buying them from abroad? The prices are also very reasonable. This annual exhibition gives us the opportunity to take advantage of local products," said one of the visitors Bandar Al-Shabibi.
One of the crafts exhibitors was Hind Al-Juraid. She, along with a group of women, showed off their skills at the festival after being trained on how to produce and market their crafts.
"We were trained by the Supreme Commission for Tourism on how to manufacture and market soap and carpets. This has increased our income," said Al-Juraid.
A Qassim-based non-governmental organisation runs a number of sustainable programmes and activities to promote the work of Saudi women who produce traditional Saudi crafts.
"There are 20,000 craftsmen and craftswomen in the Kingdom, there are also about 45 crafts registered in the country. This sector needs care and development, because it simply provides jobs and incomes for the local community," said Dr. Jasir Al-Herbish, Executive Director of the Tourism and Antiquities in Qassim.
The exhibition also provided airline companies with the opportunity to market their services. One of them is Saudi airline Flynas.
"Well, we came to this fair to basically make ourselves known, much more known to the public, to advertise ourselves really, and also to tell them where we fly, because sometimes people don't really know how big we are. And we would like to tell them about some of our plans and so on and so forth, so that more people fly with us," said Raja Azmi, Flynas Chief Executive Officer.
Saudi Arabia is home to some of Islam's holiest sites and it also boasts a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Mada'in Saleh, an ancient city home to more than 100 tombs.
With more visitors, comes a need for more accommodation. General Manager of Anjum Mekkah Hotel, promises that his hotel will accommodate the increasing number of pilgrims and tourists.
"Praise be to God, Anjum is the largest hotel in the Arab region, the GCC states and Africa. It consists of 1795 rooms and its capacity could fit four people in one room during the pilgrimage season," he said.
Economists have estimated revenue of Haj and Umrah at more than 62 billion riyals (16.5 billion dollars) in 2012, an increase of about 10 percent compared to 2011. Revenue from pilgrimage represents 3 percent of GDP in Saudi Arabia.
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