Umrah Pilgrims to Boost Medical Tourism

Umrah pilgrims will in the near future be targeted for medical tourism, a concept that is to soon witness a strong boost in the Kingdom, said Prince Sultan bin Salman, chairman of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA).

Prince Sultan made the comments during a lecture at the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) on the invitation of the Prince Sultan bin Salman Award for Youth Business Entrepreneurs of the RCCI’s Youth Business Committee.

Prince Sultan said the Kingdom contains a large number of high-standard health-care institutions that can help develop the Kingdom’s medical tourism industry. He added that medical tourism could become an excellent source of income for the Kingdom. The head of the SCTA also revealed that there are a number of projects that are being undertaken to restore and rehabilitate the old downtown areas of several Saudi cities. The projects are being undertaken in coordination with the cities’ general secretariats.

He added that old downtown areas are almost disappearing due to modern architecture becoming more dominant. The first of these projects is to begin in March in Taif, which is the first city to be allocated a budget for such projects. It is thought that developing the downtown areas would encourage tourism.

The prince also said that the company would manage the Kingdom’s first heritage hotels. Old buildings, located in towns and villages across the Kingdom, are being renovated into hotels. He added that the hotels would help encourage tourism and boost local economies.

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