The Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) on Sunday cautioned residents not to fall prey to bogus travel agents and tour operators promoting low-cost international flights during the summer vacation to woo customers.
Ahmed Al-Eisa, assistant vice president of the SCTA for licensing and quality assurance, warned both citizens and residents not to deal with anonymous individuals claiming to work for travel offices.
He said that the SCTA has developed new conditions and licensing requirements for travel and tourism agencies in cooperation with authorities such as the International Air Transport Association (IATA) with the aim of providing legal and reliable agencies that operate according to specific procedures and clear contracts with airlines to ensure their credibility.
“The goal is to find regular and reliable agencies that operate according to specific procedures and clear contracts with airlines to ensure credibility,” Al-Eisa said.
He said that the commission regularly declares the names of travel and tourism agencies it has licensed on its official website and commits to displaying their licenses in prominent places to allow customers to avail themselves of genuine services and facilities.
The SCTA conducts regular inspection and monitoring visits to illegal travel offices in order to limit individual marketing practices and enforces penalties that may result in closing down the facilities, he said.
“Nevertheless, the commission expects people to play their part and safeguard their rights. Travelers should not deal with offices that are not licensed by the SCTA and should report any illegal offices to enable the Supreme Tourism Commission to take action against illegal offers and promotions,” he said.
Both citizens and expats can register their complaints or remarks along with evidence on toll-free number 19988 or through visiting the nearest SCTA branch or via the official SCTA website on www.scta.gov.sa.
The announcement came ahead of the the summer vacation, when a huge number of Saudis travel abroad.
According to a statistics, Saudis spent a whopping SR40 billion last summer alone, with Dubai remaining the top tourist destination.
Tourists warned against fake travel agents
Tourists warned against fake travel agents
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia explore joint investment push in high-growth regions
- Both sides discuss combining Pakistan’s production capacity with Saudi capital and regional market access
- Government says Saudi side expressed interest in corporate farming in Pakistan, particularly in rice sector
KARACHI: Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are looking to jointly tap high-growth regional markets and align production and capital strengths, according to an official statement on Wednesday, following talks between Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan and Saudi Investment Assistant Minister Ibrahim Al-Mubarak in the Kingdom.
The two countries have long maintained close bilateral ties that have evolved into a multidimensional strategic partnership.
In October last year, the two countries launched an Economic Cooperation Framework aimed at shifting relations beyond aid toward sustainable trade, investment and development links. The framework followed the signing of a joint security agreement a month earlier, under which aggression against one would be treated as an attack on both.
“A key focus of the discussion was the joint exploration of regional markets, particularly Central Asia, Africa, and ASEAN, identified as high-growth regions offering significant opportunities for collaboration,” according to a statement circulated by Pakistan’s commerce ministry after the meeting.
“The two sides agreed that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, by leveraging their respective strengths, can position themselves as complementary partners — combining Pakistan’s production capabilities with Saudi Arabia’s capital strength, market access, and regional connectivity,” it added.
The Saudi side expressed interest in corporate farming in Pakistan, particularly in the rice sector, with discussions covering mechanization, storage and logistics to enable consistent, long-term exports under structured arrangements.
Talks also covered broader cooperation in agriculture and food security, including rice, fodder, meat and other agri-products, with the potential involvement of Saudi financing institutions in supporting export-linked agricultural and infrastructure projects.
Corporate farming and mechanization were discussed as long-term solutions to productivity challenges in crops such as cotton, where declining yields and high manual input costs have hurt competitiveness, the statement said.
Human resource development emerged as another area of focus, with both sides noting shortages in mid-tier skills such as nurses, caregivers, technicians and hospitality staff.
The Saudi side expressed openness to replicating vocational “train-to-deploy” models in Pakistan that link training programs directly with overseas employment opportunities.
The meeting also examined opportunities in building materials, pharmaceuticals, sports goods, footwear and light manufacturing, with both sides agreeing to pursue sector-specific workshops and business-to-business engagements to translate policy alignment into tangible trade and investment flows.
