Experts and professionals in the exhibitions and conferences sector praised the decision by His Royal Highness Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz, Governor of the Riyadh Region and Chairman of the region’s Tourism Development Council, to form a task force to develop the sector in the Riyadh Region. Engineer Tariq bin Abdulrahman Al-Issa predicted a boom in the organization of exhibitions and conferences, describing the decision as a qualitative leap forward by enabling the private sector to lead the development of exhibitions and conferences in the region through the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s chairmanship of the task force, noting that His Highness’s decision complements the directives and oversight of the Supervisory Committee for the National Program for Exhibitions and Conferences, chaired by His Royal Highness Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, President of the General Authority for Tourism and National Heritage.”
50% exhibitions hosted by Riyadh
Al-Issa highlighted the region’s significant strengths that qualify it to be a major international destination for exhibitions and conferences, especially since more than (50%) of the exhibitions and conferences held in the Kingdom are hosted by the city of Riyadh, listing the strengths that make Riyadh a major destination for this industry, including its geographic location, its status as the capital of the Middle East’s strongest economy, and the presence of key administrative offices for government and private entities, in addition to a large pool of professionals working in both the public and private sectors and the presence of more than 65% professional, scientific, and medical associations in Riyadh, as well as expansion projects at King Khalid Airport, improvements to transportation within Riyadh, hotel expansion, and plans to establish a world-class exhibition and conference center.
The decision supports the National Program for Exhibitions and Conferences
Hussein Al-Faraj, Chairman of the National Committee for Exhibitions and Conferences at the Council of Saudi Chambers and a member of the Supervisory Committee of the National Program for Exhibitions and Conferences, “The decision falls within the vision and achievements of the National Exhibitions and Conferences Program,” noting that it will have a profound impact on the growth and development of events in the Riyadh region in cooperation with all relevant authorities, as the region is characterized by large-scale, highly attractive venues for valuable local and international events, He expressed his gratitude to His Highness the Governor of the Riyadh Region for this decision and to His Royal Highness Prince Sultan bin Salman for his efforts in supporting all matters related to the field of conferences and exhibitions.
Marketing Riyadh as a Tourist Destination
For his part, Fahd bin Salem bin Nuh, CEO of the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center, stated that the decision by His Highness the Governor of the Riyadh Region—who also serves as Chairman of the region’s Tourism Development Council—supports the marketing of Riyadh as a tourist destination that enriches the sector, thereby benefiting and stimulating the national economy, noting the efforts of the Riyadh Region Emirate to identify the obstacles facing this sector and ways to address them, to provide a number of distinguished services in this industry to the Kingdom, and to nurture generations of national talent capable of increasing the sector’s contribution to the national economy.
Stimulating Investment in the Exhibition Sector
For his part, Ali Al-Othaim, a member of the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and Chairman of the Exhibitions Committee, affirmed that the decision by His Highness the Governor of the Riyadh Region will bring about a qualitative leap in the development of the industry and accelerate the infrastructure projects necessary to host international exhibitions and conferences in the Riyadh region, stimulate investment in the sector and its supporting services, and position Riyadh as a premier destination on the regional and international events calendar—a move that undoubtedly aligns with efforts to develop the city and the ongoing development projects aimed at transforming it into an economic and tourist hub possessing all the hallmarks of a modern cultural capital.
