JEDDAH: Saudi Aramco has signed an initial agreement to establish a visitor center in Al-Ula province.
The oil company has teamed up with the Al-Birr Charity Organization to develop the center, which aims to spur tourism and highlight cultural heritage.
The center will provide tourism services to visitors including information about local attractions as well as neighboring archaeological sites such as Madain Saleh.
The government is investing heavily in the tourism sector in an effort to diversify the economic base of the country and add more service jobs.
As well as coordinating visits to these areas, it will also offer brochures, tourist maps and lists of tour guides in a bid to boost visitors to the region.
Abdulla Al-Isa, general manager of public affairs at Saudi Aramco, told the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) that the initiative would help to support families in the region.
The new center is set to cover 5,000 square meters and will include a multi-purpose hall to hold conferences, seminars and workshops. It will accommodate about 300 people.