JEDDAH, 16 March 2006 -- Prince Sultan ibn Salman, secretary-general of the Supreme Commission for Tourism (SCT), signed an agreement on Tuesday with a law firm to draft the country's general tourism law, which the SCT chief said would boost the sector's overall development.

The move is significant as the Kingdom presently lacks a tourism law.

"We expect that the new law will bring about a lot of benefits. It will improve the quality of tourism services and protect the interests of consumers," Prince Sultan said.

Muhammad Al-Sharief Law Firm will prepare the new law in association with an international consultancy office that specializes in tourism industry, the Saudi Press Agency said, adding that the SR1.4-million contract would be completed within seven months.

Prince Sultan said the law was essential for smooth implementation of tourism projects. "The Council of Ministers has instructed the commission to set out necessary laws to match with the General Tourism Strategy," he said.

The SCT has already revised all the existing tourism-related regulations in the country in order to make a unified general tourism law, Prince Sultan said, adding that the new law would help the commission organize all tourism sectors in the country.

The commission has approved the implementation of a large number of projects and programs in all regions of the Kingdom this year. "These projects include development of the Red Sea coast and Al-Aqeer beach for tourism," the prince said.

Prince Sultan said regional authorities would be given more powers to carry out tourism projects. He emphasized the government's plan to establish a full-fledged tourism industry with positive economic, social and national dimensions.

Efforts are under way to develop Thumama Resort, northeast of Riyadh, as a major tourist center by implementing projects worth SR2.5 billion. According to official estimates, Thumama will attract nearly 2.5 million tourists every year.

Officials from the SCT and the Riyadh Municipality have held a series of meetings to discuss mechanisms to attract investments for tourism projects in the area, Asharq Al-Awsat Arabic daily reported yesterday.

Covering an area of 370 square kilometers, the resort will be developed with the support of the private sector. The Riyadh Development Authority has conducted a study on possible investment opportunities in the area.

The projects include King Khaled Wildlife Research Center and Saudi Aviation Club as well as a museum, a safari park, cable cars, desert camps, and a center for adventures, the paper said.

The SCT plans to establish a number of tourist resorts along the 1,800-km Red Sea coastline as part of its efforts to promote domestic tourism and win over local and foreign tourists. Prince Sultan has signed an SR2.08 million contract with an international consultancy to prepare a plan for tourism development projects on the Red Sea coast.

By P.K. Abdul Ghafour

© Arab News 2006