Qatar is an ideal destination for Saudis for a family holiday this summer, a top Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) official told Arab News on Sunday.
Abdulla Malalla Al-Bader, the QTA’s director of tourism, was speaking during a roadshow at the Ritz Carlton Hotel to raise awareness on Qatar being an ideal destination for people in the GCC to celebrate Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha.
Al-Bader said the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Roadshow 2012 started in Alkhobar in the Eastern Province on Saturday.
“We selected Saudi Arabia as the maiden location for our roadshow because the Kingdom is an important market to our country,” the official said.
Last year, he said, 59 percent of the 845,000 tourists from the GCC countries were from the Kingdom. During the first quarter of this year, around 16,500 Saudis visited Doha for business and leisure purposes. According to reports, 72 percent of the tourists to Qatar in 2011 were MICE visitors.
Under this program, he said the QTA is targeting both Saudis and expatriates living in the Kingdom.
“The hotel and the country's national carrier (Qatar Airways) will arrange entry visas to Doha within three hours from the time of application,” he said, adding that this is a special arrangement made by the QTA in cooperation with the Qatari Ministry of Interior and the airline.
He added that the show would also tour Kuwait, Muscat, Abu Dhabi and end in Dubai on May 31.
“Qatar is fast becoming one of the emerging destinations in world travel, thanks to our strategy to highlight the range of activities on offer in Qatar,” he said.
“The promotional roadshow is to promote Qatar as a premier business and upscale leisure destination to MICE (meetings, incentive, convention, exhibitions) professionals,” Al Bader noted.
He pointed out Qatar has made significant investments domestically and internationally to encourage cultural, sport, and leisure tourism to complement the business tourism industry in the country.
“The investments are to develop Qatar’s tourism infrastructure over a five year period, including the construction of new hotels, resorts and other tourism facilities,” he said.
Qatar also hosts several international sporting championships in tennis, golf, athletics and football. Plans are under way, he said to build world-class stadiums for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The iconic Museum of Islamic Art, designed by I.M. Pei, has put Qatar’s capital city of Doha firmly on the cultural scene in the Middle East. Other major projects scheduled to open in the near future include the Qatar National Convention Centre, which boasts 40,000 square meters of state-of-the-art exhibition space and the New Doha International Airport, which on completion will handle up to 50 million passengers.
QTA’s tourism strategy during the roadshow will aim to promote Qatar’s authentic heritage and rich past while highlighting its focus on building for the future through creativity and innovation by promoting the five major pillars such as meetings, sports, culture, leisure and education.
The (QTA) plans to grow the tourism industry by 20 percent over the next five years.
Qatar Tourism Authority was restructured in 2009. Consequently, it was given the mandate to organize, enable, and supervise the tourism industry’s development and to organize exhibitions in Qatar, as well as represent and promote the country as a quality tourism destination for leisure, business, education, and sport.
The authority gets actively involved in organizing events and promotions which positively reflect on the general image of Qatar as an evolving tourism destination combining business with leisure.
Qatar popular tourist destination for Saudis
Qatar popular tourist destination for Saudis
KSA localizes rose cultivation to boost agriculture
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has announced the localization of rose cultivation to meet rising local demand, create jobs, and reduce reliance on costly, lower-quality imports.
The initiative also aims to boost exports to Gulf and Middle Eastern markets, supporting agricultural growth in line with Vision 2030, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture unveiled incentives to strengthen the sector, offering financial returns to enhance rose producers’ economic standing.
Key incentives include the success of tissue culture rose cultivation, which lowers production costs while promoting growth.
The ministry also offers affordable agricultural land, investment opportunities leveraging the comparative advantages of roses, and loans covering 70 percent of project costs from the Agricultural Development Fund.
Additionally, it provides technical support and streamlined licensing for rose cultivation projects.
The ministry emphasized using technologies such as hydroponics and smart systems to reduce costs and improve efficiency, as well as opportunities to produce rare and in-demand rose varieties for higher economic returns.
KSrelief delivers solar energy equipment to boost Hadhramaut technical education
HADHRAMAUT: The Kingdom’s aid agency KSrelief delivered solar energy equipment on Saturday to the coastal office here of the Ministry of Technical Education and Vocational Training.
This initiative is a part of the “Program for Development of Technical and Vocational Institutes in Hadhramaut,” in collaboration with the UN Development Programme and the Small and Micro Enterprise Promotion Service, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.
Dr. Salem Bajaber, director-general of the ministry’s office, praised KSrelief’s efforts and said the equipment would introduce a new specialization in renewable energy at the region’s technical institutes.
This initiative is expected to empower young people, support research in renewable energy, and create jobs.
The project is a part of Saudi Arabia’s broader humanitarian efforts through KSrelief to support the country’s economic recovery.
Saudi OIC representative receives special envoy on Islamophobia
- The meeting reviewed Saudi Arabia’s efforts to support the fight against Islamophobia through the OIC and other relevant organizations
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s representative to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation received on Monday the special envoy of the OIC Secretary-General on Islamophobia, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Saleh bin Hamad Al-Suhaibani welcomed Mehmet Pacaci, who was recently appointed to the role, in the Makkah region.
Pacaci assumed the brief after a decision by the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers, in a recent meeting in Cameroon.
The discussions included the envoy’s responsibility and future efforts to implement the OIC decisions regarding measures to combat Islamophobia.
There is a growing hostility towards Islam that threatens the principles of tolerance and global coexistence, SPA noted.
This comes in addition to the widespread animosity and hatred towards minorities, especially Muslims, perpetuated by extremist groups that promote such hatred, the report said.
The meeting also reviewed Saudi Arabia’s efforts to support the fight against Islamophobia through the OIC and other relevant organizations, it added.
Saudi Arabia’s cultural renaissance under spotlight at Riyadh forum
- Muntada gathering brings together 24 creatives to explore facets of Kingdom’s arts and culture developments
RIYADH: A five-day cultural forum organized by Fenaa Alawwal in Riyadh’s Diplomatic Quarter, and co-curated by Afikra, is exploring the theme “Introspection: the role of contemporary art practices in a time of change.”
The inaugural Muntada Forum of Contemporary Art Practices opened on Sunday night and will have five panel discussions during its run until Sept. 19.
There are 24 creatives exploring a diverse range of topics, which includes the role of Saudi Arabia’s artists in shaping the Kingdom’s global image.
There will be discussions on Saudi Arabia’s youth culture involving music, street art and fashion; the role of art professionals: navigating creativity in a structural setup; cultural hubs: the emergence of urban art districts; and the intersection of food and art.
The bumper-to-bumper traffic in Riyadh was not a deterrent for art enthusiasts, curators and interested locals from attending the opening at the building built in 1988.
The venue was designed by Omrania architecture company, as a part of Alawwal Bank’s Riyadh branch in the landmark Diplomatic Quarter.
Every seat was occupied during the first panel which was titled “Soft power: Saudi artists’ role in shaping the Kingdom’s global image.”
It was moderated by curator Sara Al-Mutlaq with speakers, Ahmed Mater, a doctor-turned-artist, and Alia Al-Senussi, a cultural strategist, art patron and academic.
Al-Senussi told Arab News after the talk: “What we have really been able to embrace is the idea, (as) Ahmed Mater said, that it’s up to the artist to remove the power from the conversation.
HIGHLIGHTS
• The inaugural Muntada Forum of Contemporary Art Practices opened on Sunday night and will have five panel discussions during its run until Sept. 19.
• Muntada will conclude with a performance by culinary storyteller and social media sensation Nadir Nahdi.
• The first panel was titled ‘Soft power: Saudi artists’ role in shaping the Kingdom’s global image.’
“And soft power, in its kind of whole and holistic way, is really about translating who people are to the rest of the world.”
Mater, who is working on a new book slated for publication later this year, discussed how events over the past 45 years, starting with 1979 — his birth year — changed the course of the world, a topic which he will explore in his latest work.
He explained that each decade since 1979 has had events with major ramifications on the local and international fronts, which included the revolution in Iran and the seizure of Makkah.
He also referred to events from the 1980s up to the present day, which include the Gulf War, 9/11, the Arab Spring and the rise of social media, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic.
“There was a big change happening in Saudi Arabia during these decades. I spoke about art as a mirror for sociopolitical events and the culture of changing and that’s what shapes our narrative, our story, our strength — by telling our story that shapes our life and our memory,” Mater told Arab News.
On opening night, curator Maya El-Khalil and Saudi Arabia artist Moath Alofi offered their insights in their keynote speeches.
Other speakers to come include Hala Al-Hedeithy from the Music Commission, Gigi Arabia, the founding director of Heavy Arabia; Nada Al-Helabi from MDLBEAST; and Mikey Muhanna, the founder and executive director of Afikra.
Other participants include Lulwah Al-Homoud, curator and artist; Oliver Farrell from Misk Art; Mayada Badr, CEO of the Culinary Arts Commission; and Sybel Vazquez from the Diriyah Biennale Foundation.
There will also be a kitchen lab dedicated to speaking about and celebrating all things food, hosted by celebrity chef Joe Barza.
Muntada will conclude with a performance by culinary storyteller and social media sensation Nadir Nahdi.
Deputy minister meets newly appointed Norwegian ambassador to Saudi Arabia
- Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir received the Ambassador of Peru to the Kingdom Carlos Zapata in Riyadh
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Minister for Political Affairs Saud Al-Sati met with the newly-appointed Ambassador of Norway to the Kingdom Kjersti Tromsdal in Riyadh on Monday.
Al-Sati wished the ambassador success in her new duties, the Foreign Ministry stated on X.
Meanwhile, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir received the Ambassador of Peru to the Kingdom Carlos Zapata in Riyadh on Monday, to mark the end of his term in office.
Al-Jubeir commended Zapata for his valuable efforts to bolster the relationship between the two countries and wished him success in his future endeavors, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
