Ministry of Tourism (Saudi Arabia)
| وزارة السياحة | |
Ahmed Al Khateeb, the current Minister of Tourism since 2020 | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | April 14, 2000 as the Supreme Commission for Tourism |
| Preceding agencies |
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| Jurisdiction | Government of Saudi Arabia |
| Headquarters | as-Safarat, Riyadh 24°40′59.4″N 46°37′26.8″E / 24.683167°N 46.624111°E |
| Agency executive |
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| Child agencies |
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| Website | mt |
The Ministry of Tourism (MoT; Arabic: وزارة السياحة, romanized: Wizārah al-Sīāḥah), before 2020 as the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH),[1][2] until 2015 as the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) and prior to 2008 as the Supreme Commission for Tourism (SCT), is a government ministry in Saudi Arabia that is concerned with the tourism sector of the country. Established in the year 2000 through a royal decree by King Fahd, it was transformed into a ministry in 2020.
History
- On 12/01/1421 AH, (16/04/2000), Saudi Council of Ministers issued Resolution No. (9), approving the establishment of the Supreme Commission for Tourism (SCT).
- A Royal decree No. (2/A) dated 28/02/1424 AH ( 30/04/2003), was issued to integrate Antiquities and Museums agency into SCT, accordingly, SCTA came into existence as a body responsible for implementing these tasks in addition to its responsibility for tourism.
- The Council of Ministers on 16/03/1429 AH (23/03/2008) issued Resolution No. (78), which changed the name of the SCT to the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA).
- On 12/9/1436 AH (29/6/2015), the Cabinet changed the name of SCTA to the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH).
Saudi seasons 2019
In February 2019, the Ministry of Tourism launched a demo program called "Saudi seasons 2019", which conducts 11 tourism seasons that cover most of Saudi provinces. The program was produced by a higher committee supervised by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, as well as Ministry of Culture, General Entertainment Authority, General Sports Authority, and Saudi Exhibition & Convention Bureau. It consists of a number of culture, sports, entertainment, and business related events, with the main goals being to level-up the quality of Saudi resident lives, increasing economic activity in the country, provide working opportunities for Saudis, and supporting tourism in Saudi.
| Province/Occasion | Month |
|---|---|
| Eastern Province season | March |
| Ramadan season | May |
| Eid Al-Fitr season | June |
| Taif season | August |
| Jeddah season | June |
| National Saudi Day season | September |
| Riyadh season | October–November–December |
| Al-Diriyah season | December |
| Hail season | December–January–February |
| Al-Ula season | December–January–February |
Virtual museum
STCH launched the "Saudi Archaeological Masterpieces through the Ages" exhibition in July 2018 which they displayed 400 rare artifacts of Saudi Arabia's cultural heritage in the United States and China.
The idea was put forward by former President of France Jacques Chirac at the “Masterpieces of Islamic Art” exhibition at the National Museum of Saudi Arabia in Riyadh during his visit to Saudi Arabia in 2006 and was taken into consideration by King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. The exhibition was inaugurated in 2010 at the Louvre Museum in Paris. After its success in Paris, the exhibition was further carried out by STCH in several other European, American and European countries.[3]
Museums in Saudi Arabia
- Museum of the Two Holy Mosques, Mecca
- Al-Zaher Palace Museum, Mecca
- Al Madina Museum in Hejaz Railway Museum, Medina
- Al-Masmak Fort Museum, Riyadh
- The National Museum of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh
- Jeddah Al Khozam Museum, Jeddah
- Tayma Museum, Tayma
- Al Ahsa Museum, Al Ahsa
- Al Baha Museum, Al Baha
- Al-Jouf Museum, Al Jouf
- Al Ula Museum, Al Ula
- Shobrah Palace Museum, Taif
- Tabuk Museum, Tabuk
- Museum of the Northern Border, Arar
- Museum of Hail, Hail
- Museum of Najran, Najran
- Namass Museum, Namass
- Museum of Jazan, Jazan
- Al Ghat Museum, Al Ghat
- Museum of Saudi Aramco, Dhahran
- Museum of Currency, Riyadh
- Saqr Al Jazira Aviation Museum, Riyadh
- Archaeological Museum in King Saud University, Riyadh
MAS Center
MAS is the Arabic acronym for Tourism Information and Research Center. It is an important department of the SCTH responsible for collecting tourism data and conducting researches and related studies. According to the Article 4, paragraph 3, of the SCTH statute, a Tourism Information and Research Centre shall be established to develop and promote tourism, and to issue tourism publications in coordination with the concerned parties. Accordingly, in 2002 the Centre was established.
Takamul
Takamul is a program launched by the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage. The main aim of the program is to qualify Saudi professionals to manage and operate the tourism sector in Saudi Arabia.[4] The program is mainly tailored to provide training courses that qualify as international accredited tour guides.[5] To date, 9,631 young Saudis have benefited from the programs.[6]
See also
- Ministries of Saudi Arabia
- Tourism in Saudi Arabia
- Saudi Tourism Authority
- Ancient Towns in Saudi Arabia
- Saudi Red Sea Authority
References
- ^ "Royal Orders Issued 3 Riyadh The official Saudi Press Agency". spa.gov.sa. Retrieved 2020-02-25.
- ^ "Saudi Royal Decree Forms 3 New Ministries, Merges 2 Others". Asharq AL-awsat. Retrieved 2020-02-25.
- ^ "Klaus Kleinfeld named adviser to Saudi crown prince, NEOM appoints new CEO". Arabnews. Retrieved 03 July 2018.
- ^ "Takamul". scth.gov.sa. Retrieved 2019-05-01.
- ^ "Takamul offers program for tour guiding in Saudi Arabia". Arab News. 2019-04-22. Retrieved 2019-05-01.
- ^ "Takamul offers program for tour guiding in Saudi Arabia". Arab News. 2019-04-22. Retrieved 2019-05-01.