President of the Arab Tourism Organization (ATO) kicked off joint promotional campaigns and urged stronger inter-Arab tourism flow. Al-Fehaid said the ATO has been able to overcome obstacles to tourism by signing agreements with Arab and Global bodies. This has created new avenues for investment flow. He said the agreements helped bring down the unemployment rate, develop urban communities, and increased the gross domestic product, because the tourism sector interacts with other investment sectors.
Al-Fehaid announced several programs aimed at increasing profitability in the tourism sector including establishment of The Arab Tourism Bank, launch of a new cost airliner, and the Arab Tourism Forum in Tokyo in 2010.
