The three-day National Tourism Forum organized by the Supreme Commission for Tourism (SCT) and the Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CSCCI), concluded in Jeddah yesterday with a number of recommendations to boost domestic tourism and improve the sector's standards, and proposed that a joint SCT-CSCCI committee be set up to implement them. The forum called on the private sector to establish colleges, schools and training institutions to meet the tourist industry's increasing demand for qualified staff.

Addressing the Forum, Dr. Hasan Al-Hajhooj of the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA), stated that the number of tourists coming to Saudi Arabia from overseas will exceed 11 million over the next 20 years, while the annual income from tourism is expected to be around SR 22 billion [U.S. $5.87 billion]. "This", he said, "indicates that there will be a huge increase in job opportunities and a growth in the national income."

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