The Saudi Travel and Tourism Association held its second Board of Directors meeting of its new 2016 term at the headquarters of the General Authority for Tourism and National Heritage on Tuesday, June 13,1437, corresponding to March 22, 2016, chaired by His Excellency Mr. Faisal bin Abdullah Al-Humaidi and attended by the board members. The meeting included a discussion of a number of topics of interest to the Kingdom’s travel and tourism sector, the most notable of which was the selection and formation of several committees affiliated with the Board, which will be responsible for overseeing and organizing the Association’s financial and media affairs, in addition to a committee dedicated to development and follow-up. The meeting’s agenda also included the start of establishing the Association’s administrative structure through the Council’s approval of the appointment of Mr. Hani bin Fahd Al-Othaim as Executive Director of the Association and the appointment of Mr. Badr bin Muslim Al-Maliki as Secretary of the Board of Directors, The Board voted by a majority to adopt the association’s new identity. Members also discussed the preparation of the association’s internal bylaws and outlined the annual plan for 2016, and discussed the mechanism for soliciting opinions and proposals from companies and institutions operating in the travel and tourism sector regarding the development of this vital and important sector and the removal of all obstacles hindering its progress, in cooperation with relevant authorities in the Kingdom, foremost among them the General Authority for Tourism and National Heritage, which consistently supports the Kingdom’s travel and tourism industry and its workers, helps develop their businesses, and overcomes all difficulties that hinder their progress.
His Excellency Mr. Omar bin Abdulaziz Al-Mubarak, Director General of Licensing, stated that the Authority’s interest in tourism associations stems from the directives of His Royal Highness the President of the Authority, may God protect him, and his belief in the role of these associations in fulfilling their responsibilities to achieve the objectives agreed upon for which they were established, as is the practice in other countries around the world. These associations typically consist of experienced specialists from the private sector and qualified nationals, and the Travel Association is considered one of the most influential associations in the tourism industry, since travel and transportation are vital to stimulating tourism; tourism cannot exist without travel options or safe, accessible transportation routes that offer quality service and reasonable prices for facilities connecting cities and tourist destinations.
Furthermore, the Association, in its new form, has demonstrated positive progress in its planning methodology, organized work mechanisms, and the development of a documented plan to achieve its established goals.
Mr. Faisal Al-Humaidi, Chairman of the Association’s Board of Directors, expressed his thanks and appreciation to His Royal Highness Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, President of the General Authority for Tourism and National Heritage, for his great trust in selecting the members of the Association’s Board of Directors for its current term, as well as for the and continuous follow-up, which support the achievement of the Association’s vision and lofty goals in developing the travel and tourism sectors in the Kingdom.
It is worth noting that the Association’s Board of Directors, in its new term, includes a number of travel and tourism industry leaders and practitioners in the Kingdom, namely Mr. Mutaib Al-Mahmoud, Vice Chairman of the Board; Mr. Talal Al-Muheidib; Mr. Khalid bin Shaker, Mr. Nasser Al-Ghailan, Mr. Azzam Al-Mufdah, Ms. Salwa Al-Qanibit, Mr. Khalid Al-Darwish, Mr. Abdullah Bakri, and Mr. Qusay Dhafer.
