Tourism & Hospitality | Friday 6 February, 2015 6:55 am |

Organizers of the three-day Jeddah International Travel and Tourism Exhibition that kicked off Wednesday say the event would help boost the city’s economy.
The exhibition was launched under the auspices of Jeddah Gov. Prince Mishaal bin Majed and inaugurated by Hani Abu Ras, the city’s mayor. It is being held in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Authority for Tourism and Culture for the first time.

The organizers include the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities, Jeddah municipality and 4M event organizers. About 150 national and international companies from 10 countries and 30,000 visitors are expected this year.
Abu Ras thanked Prince Mishaal for helping to organize the event, which he said would boost the country’s economy and create jobs. He also welcomed Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, adviser to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman, who recently returned to the post of Makkah governor.

Abu Ras said the event is being held for a fifth time, an indication of the importance of Jeddah to the tourism industry. He said the city welcomes 3 million tourists and 20 million Haj and Umrah pilgrims annually.

Abu Ras said the new company set up to develop the city’s tourism industry would ensure further investments in various projects including the successful annual Jeddah festival. The city would become a model for the rest of the country, particularly since the old city was recognized as a world heritage site, he said.
Maya bint Hassan Halfawi, head of the organizing committee, said the exhibition would help boost the tourism industry. Spending on tourism would likely exceed SR100 billion by 2020, she said.

She said the participation of the Abu Dhabi Authority for Tourism and Culture would assist in developing the fast-growing Saudi market.