Industry Minister attends opening of UNWTO Regional Bureau

Riyadh, May 27 (BNA): Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, Zayed bin Rashid Al-Zayani, the Chairman of Bahrain Tourism and Exhibition Authority (BTEA), has participated in the opening ceremony of the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO)’s Regional Bureau in the Saudi capital, Riyadh. The ceremony was held under the patronage of UNWTO Secretary General, Zurab Pololikashvili, and Saudi Minister of Tourism, Ahmed Al-Khatib, in the presence of a number of Ministers of Tourism in the Middle East. The opening of the Regional Bureau, which is the first of its kind outside Madrid, the main headquarters of the organisation, is held in conjunction with the Tourism Recovery Summit being held in Riyadh. The bureau aims to coordinate policies and initiatives of 12 countries in the Middle East, promote tourism products and sustainable development, exchange information and stimulate tourism investments. The establishment of the first tourism academy in Riyadh, which is in charge of the Middle East Affairs, was also announced.