RIYADH: Global tourism officials meeting in Saudi Arabia have highlighted the importance of investing in people to safeguard the future of the sector.
With the industry getting back on track following the coronavirus pandemic, renewed efforts are being made to promote careers in tourism and hospitality.
Experts and leaders from around the world, gathered in Riyadh for the UN World Tourism Organization’s World Tourism Day, agreed that investment in talent was crucial to creating a sustainable sector.
Speaking on Wednesday during a panel session titled “Investing in Our People,” Indonesia’s deputy minister for tourism product and events at the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, Rizki Handayani, said: “Human capital development is the most important aspect that plays key roles in the success of sustainable, or green tourism.
“We really need to put our efforts into the development of our human capital, their skill, their knowledge, as well as their capability and entrepreneurship.”
In 2020, more than 62 million jobs were lost globally due to the pandemic, many of those being in the tourism and hospitality industry. Saudi Arabia has since managed a return to work for 80 percent of the sector’s employees. But for many, job security fears are holding them back.
Haitham Mattar is managing director for the Middle East, Africa, and Southwest Asia at IHG Hotels and Resorts, the largest operator and employer in Saudi Arabia with more than 18,000 rooms in around 40 hotels.
He said: “It is now a critical task for both the government and private sector to re-instil the confidence in giving employees job security, but also financial certainty.”
While employment in hospitality can offer fast-tracked career opportunities, and international work, many people were now looking for flexibility, work-life balance, and well-being with jobs in areas such as hotels and airlines.
One of the biggest challenges currently being faced by companies was providing education and training for future employees. But CEO of Sommet Education, Benoit-Etienne Domenget, said globally these were not among the key investment areas.
“For too long, our community players of hospitality, tourism, and travel have considered human capital as a commodity,” he added.
Delegates at the session debated the need for expanded education beyond hospitality skills to ensure content was locally relevant and through the encouragement of entrepreneurial mindsets.
Christine Bockelmann, dean of Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, said: “From a study in Portugal, we know that 50 percent of all people who have an education in tourism do not subsequently work in this field, so we have a problem with the attractivity of the jobs in this area.
“Education is very important and sustainability, and prosperity is very important. My key point is that we have to create a connectivity between these three topics,” she added.
World tourism leaders meeting in Riyadh highlight need for investment in people
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World tourism leaders meeting in Riyadh highlight need for investment in people
- Experts and leaders from around the world agreed that investment in talent was crucial to creating a sustainable sector
- In 2020, more than 62 million jobs were lost globally due to the pandemic, many of those being in the tourism and hospitality industry
‘The Arts Tower’ brings new meaning and color to Riyadh’s Sports Boulevard
- For Gharem, Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, like “The Arts Tower,” constantly lifts eyes upward, motivating people to leap from the familiar into the unexpected, pushing them to embrace the future with imagination
RIYADH: As you venture down the promenade of the capital’s latest attraction, Sports Boulevard, a new landmark is sure to catch your eye.
A tower at the intersection of Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Road and Prince Turki bin Abdulaziz Al-Awwal Road bursts with color and character.
The mind behind this work, named “The Arts Tower,” is renowned Saudi artist Abdulnasser Gharem, who has centered the mundane within the architectural landscape early on in his career with works like “Siraat” (The Path) and “Road to Makkah.”
Gharem told Arab News: “This piece is a witness to the transformation that’s happening here. It’s a symbol of investment into the cultural infrastructure as proof of how important that is to any society or community. I think the tower represents this transformation, especially that it, in itself, transforms one of the symbols of energy into a beacon for creative expression.”
Previously one of numerous 83.5-meter electricity pylons, the tower was meant to be removed for the sake of the Sports Boulevard project.
“I asked if I could have one,” Gharem said, explaining that, as one of the nominated artists to propose a work to beautify the boulevard, he was keen to use the existing structure.
HIGHLIGHTS
• The selected proposal features a total of 691 colored panels that were installed to bring the tower’s vibrant facade to life.
• The pieces used are all related to the grand narrative of the Kingdom, including economic diversity, cultural transformations, and social changes.
Author and curator Nato Thompson said about the work in a statement: “By repurposing a symbol of energy infrastructure and turning it into a beacon of artistic expression, Gharem highlights the evolving role of culture and art in Saudi Arabia’s development journey.
“It stands as living proof of the Kingdom’s commitment to nurturing its cultural landscape, making arts and creativity an inseparable part of its identity just as oil and energy were in the past.”
The selected proposal features a total of 691 colored panels that were installed to bring the tower’s vibrant facade to life.
It utilizes elements from Saudi architecture and patterns we recognize from our old homes, primarily the triangular shape.
“I was lucky that the tower was made up of triangles, which is a geometrical shape that brings together the different regions of the Kingdom and the historical features of our beginnings, so it’s a symbol of unity,” Gharem said.
The pieces used are all related to the grand narrative of the Kingdom, including economic diversity, cultural transformations, and social changes.
This piece is a witness to the transformation that’s happening here. It’s a symbol of investment into the cultural infrastructure as proof of how important that is to any society or community.
Abdulnasser Gharem, Saudi artist
“The colors are alluding to the connection between our history and heritage and the concepts of cheerfulness and mental hospitality. A tower always forces you to look up.”
For Gharem, Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, like “The Arts Tower,” constantly lifts eyes upward, motivating people to leap from the familiar into the unexpected, pushing them to embrace the future with imagination.
“The piece is based on sunlight,” he said. “The daylight gives a completely, completely different dimension to the work compared to its urban illumination during the night.
“The colors do not just appear; they shift, transform, and come alive in different ways throughout the day. Here, nature becomes a crucial element to the structure.”
Even the wind has played a part in determining the number and placement of the colored pieces used. “It taught me that there needs to be some gaps in order to allow the piece to breathe and I was forced to humble myself upon the power of nature.
“The wind became my partner in design,” he said.
“The Arts Tower” is designed to make people feel represented and connected.
While the Sports Boulevard promotes physical activity, the creative landmark serves a deeper purpose: it is a thoughtful space meant to inspire human interaction and community — and more importantly, invite them to slow down, engage, and ponder the future.
“Culture is one of the key factors for our country’s development path. At the end of the day, culture is just as important as energy. It’s worth investing in, and it’s a certificate that the Kingdom is committed to nurturing its cultural scene,” Gharem said.
Acacia rebirth: Saudi royal reserve boosts green cover
- The reserve’s development authority focuses on increasing community awareness, supporting biodiversity protection and fostering a sustainable environment for wildlife reproduction and conservation
RIYADH: Nestled in the northeast of Riyadh, the Imam Abdulaziz bin Mohammed Royal Reserve is an environmental gem, boasting a mix of nature’s finest features and an array of awe-inspiring terrains.
As well as being a haven for distinctive geological formations, it also contains rare plants and animals featured on the Red List of Threatened Species.
The reserve is undertaking extensive restoration efforts, planting hundreds of thousands of trees, particularly Acacia, across its vast 91,500 sq. km area.
This initiative aligns with the Saudi Green Initiative, aiming to revitalize the reserve’s vegetation and restore ecological balance, a Saudi Press Agency report said.
Acacia trees are crucial to this effort due to their resilience in harsh desert climates and their significant ecological role. They provide grazing, shade and habitat for wildlife while also helping to stabilize the soil and offering a vital nectar source for high-quality honey.
These comprehensive afforestation projects are crucial in combating desertification and enhancing biodiversity, reinforcing Saudi Arabia’s commitment to environmental sustainability.
FASTFACTS
• Acacia trees are crucial to this effort due to their resilience in harsh desert climates and their significant ecological role.
• This eco haven is the Kingdom’s second-largest royal reserve.
The reserve’s development authority focuses on increasing community awareness, supporting biodiversity protection and fostering a sustainable environment for wildlife reproduction and conservation.
The authority also provides guided tours and excursions led by environmental tour guides, making it a hotspot for eco-enthusiasts interested in hiking, climbing and other ecotourism activities.
This eco haven is the Kingdom’s second-largest royal reserve. It hosts diverse wildlife and plant species, making it ideal for hiking, wilderness adventures, camping and sustainable hunting.
Its vegetation cover provides a refuge for various bird species, crucial for maintaining ecosystem balance by controlling insects, small rodents and carrion.
The reserve stands out with its streams and valleys, where rainwater and floods flow from the Al-Urumah Plateau into the reserve’s valleys, such as Al-Thumama Valley and Ghilana Valley, leading to streams and parks such as Rawdat Khuraim.
Swift medical response saves pilgrim in Madinah
- The case “highlights King Salman Medical City’s capabilities as part of the Madinah Health Cluster and its readiness to provide specialized care for pilgrims”
MADINAH: A swift response from Saudi Arabia’s urgent care system enabled medical teams at King Salman bin Abdulaziz Medical City in Madinah to save the life of an Iraqi female pilgrim suffering from a brain hemorrhage.
According to the Madinah Health Cluster, clinical assessment and interventional radiology revealed a ruptured artery that required immediate intervention, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday.
Once the patient was stabilized, a targeted procedure using coiling technology was performed. The interventional neuroradiology team sealed the rupture, preventing further complications, the SPA added.
The Madinah Health Cluster said the pilgrim regained full consciousness with “no neurological deficits” and has begun rehabilitation before returning home.
The case “highlights King Salman Medical City’s capabilities as part of the Madinah Health Cluster and its readiness to provide specialized care for pilgrims,” the SPA wrote.
Saudi authorities intensify efforts against drug traffickers and dealers
- The General Directorate of Narcotics Control arrested four citizens in the Eastern Province for the possession of 108 kg of hashish and for selling regulated tablets
RIYADH: Saudi authorities have made numerous drug-related arrests throughout the Kingdom recently, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday.
Border Guard patrols in Al-Dayer, Jazan region, arrested eight Yemenis trying to smuggle in a total of 240 kg of qat in multiple separate attempts. The same sector also saw authorities thwart the attempted smuggling of 42 kg of hashish.
In another attempt, land patrols in Al-Dayer prevented the smuggling in of 54 kg of hashish, 343,000 tablets regulated for medical use, and 2,000 amphetamine tablets.
In Jazan’s Fifa governorate, security patrols arrested two Ethiopians smuggling 35 kg of qat.
In Al-Raboah, Asir region, Border Guard patrols arrested five Yemenis and Ethiopians smuggling 100 kg of qat and also prevented the smuggling in of a further 280 kg of qat.
Also in Asir, a Sudanese resident was arrested with 125 kg of qat in Dhahran Al-Janoub, and an Ethiopian with 46 kg of qat in Al-Farsha.
Security patrols in the Eastern Province arrested an Indian resident for selling heroin.
Patrols from the General Directorate of Mujahideen in Jazan arrested two Ethiopians selling hashish, amphetamine, and regulated pills.
The General Directorate of Narcotics Control arrested four citizens in the Eastern Province for the possession of 108 kg of hashish and for selling regulated tablets.
Officials also arrested two Yemenis in Najran for selling amphetamines, locally known as shabu.
Preliminary legal procedures were completed in all cases, and all seized items have been handed to the relevant authorities, the SPA reported.
Authorities have urged the public to report drug smuggling or sales by calling 911 in Makkah, Riyadh, and the Eastern Province, or 999 in other regions. Reports can also be submitted confidentially to the General Directorate of Narcotics Control via email at 995@gdnc.gov.sa or by calling 995.
Yanbu festival showcases Red Sea culture, marine life
- The event included experts’ presentations on financing opportunities for fishermen, aimed at supporting the development of sustainable fisheries
RIYADH: Bahhar, a festival in the city of Yanbu in Madinah province, attracted residents and visitors to its artistic performances and cultural, tourism, and heritage activities, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday.
The week-long festival also featured prominent Yanbu fishermen sharing stories of their experiences in the Red Sea, the SPA reported.
Bahhar’s event tent included a theater, a children’s art room, performances by a folklore band, a pavilion for marine-related handicrafts and fine arts, and an exhibition of the biodiversity of the Red Sea coast.
Side events included talks and workshops on marine fishing regulations, modern fish-farming systems, and initiatives to protect the sea and the coastal environment.
The event also included experts’ presentations on financing opportunities for fishermen, aimed at supporting the development of sustainable fisheries.
