The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will launch its first international campaign that markets itself as a destination for meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions by exhibiting at IMEX in Frankfurt next month, May 16 to 18.
“As the worldwide exhibition for incentive travel, meetings and events, IMEX in Frankfurt is the perfect place for us to meet thousands of influential event and meetings buyers face-to-face and to show them the opportunities in Saudi Arabia and many superb facilities that we could offer them,” says Tariq A. Al-Essa, executive director of the Saudi Exhibition and Convention Bureau (SECB).
The Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH), in association with the SECB is the driving force behind the marketing initiative, which is a major step in line with the country’s Vision 2030 plan. Announced in April 2016, Vision 2030 outlines economic and social policies designed to move the country’s economy away from its dependence on oil. Hosting meetings as well as focusing on leisure and religious tourism are key methods to generating both revenue and employment in the country.
The SCTH is investing almost $7 billion under the National Transformation Plan (the key to Vision 2030) on various initiatives across the country. Established almost four years ago, the SECB will be one of the key organizations helping develop Saudi Arabia’s presence in the meetings industry by marketing the country’s more than 600 first-class hotels and convention and exhibition facilities in its most accessible cities. In 2015, the SECB determined major classifications for the Convention and Exhibition sector in order to create proper criteria for rehabilitating the sector operators and facilities throughout the country.
