King Abdullah has given his approval for implementation of an SR50 billion, full fledged tourist city in the eastern coastal city of Al-Oqair, in Saudi Arabia. Prince Sultan bin Salman, chairman of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA), said the first phase of the project will cost about SR100 million and aims to transform the Al-Oqair into a world class tourist city.
Many tourists from within the Kingdom and nearby countries visit Al-Oqair, which is located in the Al-Ahsa region. Mayor of Al-Ahsa, Fahd Al-Jubair, said the project will change the face of Al-Ahsa, create about 80,000 jobs, and add at least SR100 million in annual revenues for the municipality. Al-Jubair said “Al-Ahsa municipality will have a 25 to 30 percent stake in the project and will be in partnership with SCTA. It will have a great impact on Al-Ahsa’s economy,”
