The Ministry of Tourism is a government ministry in Saudi Arabia responsible for the regulation and oversight of tourism in Saudi Arabia, including the development of tourism sites, the management of heritage locations, licensing, and coordination with related entities.
Overview and role The Ministry of Tourism is the government body responsible for regulating and developing the tourism sector in Saudi Arabia. Its functions include setting policies for the sector, supporting investment, developing tourism services, and coordinating with other public entities involved in tourism, heritage, funding, promotion, and destination development.
The ministry was established in 2020 after the transformation of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage into a ministry. The institutional development of the sector had earlier begun with the establishment of the Supreme Commission for Tourism in 2000, followed by later changes that expanded its responsibilities to include antiquities and national heritage before the creation of the ministry.
The ministry forms part of Saudi Arabia's wider tourism ecosystem, which includes entities such as the Saudi Tourism Authority, the Tourism Development Fund, the Tourism Development Council, the Saudi Red Sea Authority, and related public bodies. These entities have separate roles in areas such as tourism promotion, financing, regulation, planning, and destination development.
The ministry's work is connected to the National Tourism Strategy and Saudi Vision 2030. The strategy aims to increase domestic and international visits, expand tourism's contribution to the national economy, attract investment, create jobs, and develop tourism destinations across the Kingdom. The ministry also supports human-capability development in the tourism sector through training and qualification programs in cooperation with educational and training institutions.
List of tourism officials
No. Portrait Official Took office Left office Time in office Secretaries General (2000–2020) 1 Sultan bin Salman 16 April 2000 27 December 2018 18 years, 255 days 2 Ahmed Al-Khateeb 27 December 2018 25 February 2020 1 year, 60 days Ministers of Tourism (2020–present) 1 Ahmed Al-Khateeb 25 February 2020 Incumbent
Museums
Clock Tower Museum, Mecca Al-Zaher Palace Museum, Mecca Al-Madinah Museum, Medina Hejaz Railway Museum, Medina Al-Masmak Palace Museum, Riyadh National Museum of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh Khuzam Palace 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 Shubra Palace Museum, Taif Tabuk Museum, Tabuk Northern Borders Museum, Arar Hail Museum, Hail Najran Museum, Najran Al-Namas Museum, Al-Namas Jazan Museum, Jazan Al-Ghat Museum, Al-Ghat Saudi Aramco Museum, Dhahran Currency Museum, Riyadh Royal Saudi Air Force Museum, Riyadh King Saud University Museum, Riyadh
See also
Ministries of Saudi Arabia Tourism in Saudi Arabia Saudi Red Sea Authority Saudi Tourism Authority Ancient towns in Saudi Arabia List of World Heritage Sites in Saudi Arabia
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External links