Alula archeology11/24/2023 The kingdom was hosting the summit in AlUla to present the Saudi human heritage tourism project not only to the region but to the entire world, Ogaily clarified. “Tourism has become a major goal of Riyadh Vision 2030,” he said, given that a royal commission was established to advance it. Suleiman al-Ogaily, an analyst, writer and member of the board of directors of the Saudi Society for Political Science, told The Media Line that AlUla, as a center of tourism with a World Heritage Site, would be used to diversify revenue sources under Vision 2030. The commission was tasked with developing the governorate in a manner commensurate with its historical value, civilizational position and archaeological sites, in order to achieve the economic and cultural goals of the Vision 2030 framework. In 2017, two royal orders were issued to establish the Royal Commission for AlUla Governorate, and to form a board of directors headed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is also deputy prime minister and minister of defense. This would benefit the region in general and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in particular, in line with Vision 2030, Sabban said. “It would contribute to free trade negotiations with China and other major countries and to economic integration frameworks.” The summit will be a success if reconciliation is achieved between Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain on the one hand, and Qatar on the other, and the latter “is returned to the Gulf house,” as economic cooperation and many technical committees would be reactivated, which would also contribute to “uniting the Gulf voice, instead of having multiple voices,” Sabban expanded.Īdditionally, he said this would contribute to achieving Gulf integration, economically and industrially. “It includes a historical heritage that goes back to the Prophet Salih, which is beautiful and wonderful.” “AlUla is a beautiful region in which the climate is moderate, and it is a major tourist destination in the kingdom,” Sabban continued. This reflects a major shift in Saudi policy toward tourism and the openness of society, by receiving foreign visitors, holding concerts and receiving top singers, artists and actors. … A lot of attention is given to this city.” “It also reflects the kingdom’s interest in tourism, as the city has become an attractive center for many contests and concerts. Sabban said hosting the summit in AlUla city, which had been home to many civilizations, reflected the program to establish several “economic cities” to attract foreign and domestic investment and to reduce sprawl and congestion in existing metropolises. “Thus, it is important to focus on and open up the tourism sector, as this will increase economic returns and the contribution to the gross national product,” he said. Mohammed al-Sabban, an economist and a former senior adviser to the Saudi petroleum minister, told The Media Line that holding the Gulf summit in AlUla city came to advance Saudi Vision 2030, a framework whose main goal is to diversify the nation’s economy. The site was the kingdom’s southernmost settlement and its largest after Petra in Jordan. The governorate is home to several outstanding archaeological sites, including Mada’in Salih (Cities of Salih), also known as Hegra or Al-Hijr (“The Stoneland” or “The Rocky Place”), which dates back to 300 BCE and which in 2008 became the first of Saudi Arabia’s five UNESCO World Heritage Site sites.Ī majority of the remains date from the Nabatean kingdom. Saudi Arabia’s northwestern AlUla Governorate is hosting the 41 st summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council on Tuesday, including top leaders from the GCC’s six member-nations: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Ancient, archaeology-rich city of AlUla chosen for meeting as part of Saudi drive to diversify economy
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