The Saudi Cabinet issued a decision to abolish the Tourism Development Council and the regional tourism development councils, in a move aimed at restructuring the institutional frameworks and regulating the tourism sector in the Kingdom. This decision was based on recommendations submitted by the Council of Economic and Development Affairs, and followed a thorough review by the Cabinet's General Committee, to ensure that the administrative structures are aligned with the current stage of development in the sector.
Details of the ministerial decision
The first clause of the decision explicitly stipulated the abolition of the Tourism Development Council, which had been established under Article 2 of its previous regulations, as well as the cancellation of all related regulations. The second clause of the decision included the abolition of the Tourism Development Councils in the various regions of the Kingdom, as part of the state's efforts to unify regulatory frameworks and modernize the governance system, thereby preventing duplication of roles among relevant entities.
Context of transformation in the tourism sector
This decision comes at a time when the tourism sector in Saudi Arabia is undergoing radical transformations and rapid development since the launch of Vision 2030. In recent years, a comprehensive and integrated system for managing the sector has been established, including the Ministry of Tourism as the legislative and regulatory body, the Saudi Tourism Authority responsible for promotion and marketing, and the Tourism Development Fund to facilitate investment. The existence of these modern and robust entities has made it necessary to review the previous councils that operated under the former structure of the General Authority for Tourism and National Heritage, to ensure there is no overlap in responsibilities.
Economic and organizational importance
This restructuring is a strategic step to enhance institutional performance. By abolishing the old councils, powers and responsibilities are concentrated in newly established entities, accelerating decision-making and streamlining procedures for local and international investors. Through these regulations, the Kingdom aims to achieve its ambitious goals of attracting more than 150 million visits annually by 2030 and making tourism a key contributor to non-oil GDP, which requires a flexible and unified legislative environment.
The decision was based on extensive studies prepared by the Council of Ministers’ Experts Committee, which took into account the regulatory and organizational dimensions, to ensure full alignment with the state’s general directions in streamlining government work and enhancing integration among all development sectors.
