The Director General of the General Authority for Tourism and National Heritage and Secretary of the Eastern Province Tourism Development Council, Eng. Abdul-Latif bin Muhammad Al-Banyan, revealed a qualitative leap in the region’s tourism accommodation sector, in response to the classification standards implemented by the Authority, in order to meet the growing demand for lodging facilities. As a result, the hotel sector’s operational capacity has reached 115 hotels, including 13 five-star hotels, and more than 800 furnished residential units. Over the next two years, the region will also see the opening of approximately 40 hotels, most of which will be five- and four-star properties.

Mr. Al-Banyan noted that the Authority is continuing to rectify the status of unlicensed facilities operating in violation of regulations,  and is carrying out its regulatory and inspection role over tourism facilities to ensure quality and prevent price gouging by intensifying its regulatory and awareness campaigns in the lodging sector. The campaign includes the distribution of more than twenty informational brochures on tourist attractions through 100 stands and 40 electronic information centers distributed across these facilities.