RIYADH: Al-Ahsa will host the meetings of the 25th session of the Executive Office of the Arab Ministerial Council for Tourism and the 22nd session of the Arab Tourism Council.

The meetings, which will take place between Dec. 22-23, will be hosted by Ahmad bin Aqil Al-Khatib, chairman of the board of directors for the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage.

The Executive Office of the Arab Ministerial Tourism Council will meet on Dec. 22 while on the next day the main ministerial meeting will be held. 

Guests will have the chance to enjoy tourist programs in Al-Ahsa, including visiting a number of archaeological and historical sites, such as Al-Qarah Mountain, Beit Al-Baya, Qasr Al-Sahoud and Al-Qaysariya Historic Market.

Al-Ahsa is widely considered to have the greenest and most fertile land in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province, while also housing prominent archaeological and historical sites.

The creative and cultural achievements of Al-Ahsa Oasis were highlighted by its mayor at a UNESCO meeting in Japan earlier this year.

In 2015, it became the first Gulf city to be included in UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network in the fields of crafts and folk art. The network brings together 180 cities from 72 countries to place creativity and cultural industries at the heart of their development plans at the local level, and to cooperate actively at the international level.

The second achievement was UNESCO’s designation of Al-Ahsa as a World Heritage Site in 2018, becoming the fifth such Saudi site. 

Moreover, Al-Ahsa was chosen as the Arab Tourism Capital for 2019 by the Arab Ministerial Council for Tourism.

These achievements would not have been possible without the Saudi government’s support, and Al-Ahsa residents’ relentless efforts to maintain their cultural heritage.