Domestic tourism in Saudi Arabia has grown over the past few years due to infrastructure improvements and increased mobility among its growing population. The Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) reported that 37.5 billion Riyals was spent on domestic tourism during the past year. This added 47.5 billion Riyals to the countries Gross Domestic Product during the year. Last year the tourism sector accounted for 6.9 per cent of non-oil GDP.
Director General for Information and Research at SCTA, Dr. Mohammed Al Ahmad reported that the number of people working in the Kingdom’s tourism sector increased from 3,355,200 in 2004 to 4,456, 200 in 2008. However, the occupancy rate fell from 59.5% in January of this year to 56.6% in February.
Housed in a building that was the French consulate until 1910, it is now a museum in varying degrees; the collection includes prehistoric artifacts and carvings to funerary jars and some very fine examples of traditional drums from the north. The collection also contains items obtained from excavations of Han tombs, artifacts from the Buddhist statuary, and everyday items of early history. A...
Nehru Planetarium is a landmark building in Mumbai. Its honeycomb, cylindrical shaped building also features art gallery, restaurant, library, cultural center and a 14-gallery exhibit called Discovery of India. This center has been designed by J M Kadri, one of India’s finest architects. There is a concert cum movie auditorium too. Children enjoy watching the mysteries of the universe unfold...
The Race Course and Equestrian & Horse Racing Club was established in 1977 and aims to revive the Arab custom of horse riding and grooming as well as training the new generation in the time-old tradition of riding horses. The course can house up to 40,000 spectators, and even children are welcome. Placing bets on the horses and the outcome of matches is strictly forbidden. Timings: Friday ...
This club is extremely interesting and stamp collectors and enthusiasts are bound to love the stamp collection on display here. This would be a delightful way of learning about the history of Qatar and the victories that this proud nation has achieved over the years. Timings: not known Admission: not known Address: Al- Sadd Street, Al Sadd, P.O. Box 22010, Doha Tel: 974 432 329...