Regional office for UNWTO in Riyadh

At the 112th session of the UNWTO Executive Council, HE Ahmed Al-Khateeb, Saudi Arabia’s Minister for Tourism, announced the establishment of the UNWTO Regional Office for ME in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Shehara Rizly

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.

Reiterating his continued support to the UNWTO, His Excellency Ahmed Al-Khateeb, Saudi Arabia’s Minister for Tourism, said, “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. 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.”