RIYADH: Eighty percent of Saudis use highways for domestic travel, said Prince Sultan bin Salman, president of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA), while launching a new identity of Saudi Automotive Services Company (SASCO) service stations at the Four Seasons Hotel in Riyadh.
The launch was held in the midst of an elite gathering that included Minister of Transport Jabara Al-Seraisry, Chief Executive Officer of Saudi Research and Marketing Group Azzam Al-Dakhil and SASCO Chairman Ibrahim Al-Hudaithi.
"To promote domestic tourism we have to provide the best services to the local citizens, residents and tourists who make use of our trunk roads," said the prince, adding that this can only be done through proper coordination with the SCTA, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs, and other nongovernmental bodies.
Prince Sultan said service stations are important as they are used by travelers to freshen up, adding that there is an urgent need to renovate them to make them more attractive and welcoming. He said he is happy that SASCO is in the Saudi Stock Exchange, as that would make the company offer enhanced services to increase its yearly revenues. "Saudi Arabia is a huge area and more companies could come in to cover a wider section of the Kingdom," he added.
Al-Hudaithi said SASCO plans to renovate its service centers to cater to the increasing demand of domestic travelers. At present, SASCO has 53 stations across the Kingdom and hopes to have 20 more by 2011, said Al-Hudaithi.
Riyad S. Al-Malek, general manager of SASCO, said the company plans to make facilities at its stations cosy and comfortable for visitors. "We plan to have some attractive shopping centers, food courts and motels with tie ups with international chains," he added.
By MD RASOOLDEEN
© Arab News 2010
