Minister Al-Khateeb inspects quarantine preparedness at tourist facilities

Minister of Tourism Ahmad Al-Khateeb on Sunday inspected a number of tourist accommodation facilities here in order to ensure their readiness with all the required standards and services to receive quarantine cases.

The visit was prior to the delivery of these shelters to the Ministry of Health and other competent authorities to use them as quarantines as part of the ministry’s efforts in preparing many hotels and tourist accommodation facilities in various regions of the Kingdom.

In a media briefing, Al-Khateeb highlighted the government’s great efforts to stem the spread of coronavirus, and the great care it gives for the health and safety of citizens and expatriates through a series of prudent measures and procedures as well as for Saudis abroad to bring them back to their homeland with hosting them in the finest hotels and facilities.

“The government is keen on providing the highest standards of healthcare services and requirements during the quarantine period. We value the initiatives of investors and owners of hotels and tourist accommodation facilities, who want to allot their residential units to receive quarantine cases,” he said.

The minister urged such investors and owners of hotels to contact immediately with the Tourist Contact Center (No. 930), to ensure that all the required standards and requirements are met,” he said.

Al-Khateeb added that the ministry has set up a 24-hour operations room, apart from mobilizing fieldwork teams in all regions of the Kingdom. “The ministry is also making concerted efforts with all the concerned authorities in enhancing awareness about coronavirus,” he said.

The ministry has drawn up a set of requirements and special standards that must be met in tourist accommodation facilities designated to receive quarantine cases, so that all the competent authorities, headed by the Ministry of Health, can perform their duties in ease and comfort.

There have been 13 tourist facilities with1,892 rooms in the Riyadh region; 10 tourist facilities with 2,827 rooms in Makkah and 10 tourist facilities with 1,894 rooms in the Eastern Province.

The ministry is currently working to make available the largest number of accommodation facilities to ensure that they are ready to receive quarantine cases whenever they are required.