His Excellency the Minister of Commerce and Investment, Dr. Majid bin Abdullah Al Qasabi, expressed his sincere thanks and appreciation to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and to His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince and Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Defense, for the cabinet's approval on the organizational arrangements of the General Authority for Conventions & Exhibitions.
H. E. stressed that the organizational arrangements highlights the role of the Conventions & Exhibitions Authority in developing the conventions & exhibitions sector in the Kingdom, besides raising the Kingdom's competitiveness, as one of the most important economies in the world, and as a member of G 20. Adding that such arrangements will contribute to achieving the strategic objectives of different sectors through the activities of qualitative and specialized conventions and exhibitions. All that for the realization of the Kingdom's Vision 2030.
H.E. Dr. Al Qasabi pointed out that the General Authority for Conventions & Exhibitions aims to develop and promote this important sector, also enhance its legislations, procedures and regulations, as well as develop and qualify the national cadres working in it, besides facilitating and promoting the investment in this sector, in addition to representing the Kingdom in the World Forums and providing technical support to the government participations in various foreign activities, to highlight the Kingdom's position as an attractive destination for conventions & exhibitions, more over taking the necessary actions for attracting the distinguished international events and developing the local ones, also making constructive cooperation with all government and private bodies to consolidate efforts and to support the process of attracting and developing qualitative conventions & exhibitions. This is to serve different economic sectors, and put the Kingdom on the map of the world's distinctive destinations for launching various kinds of conventions and exhibitions.
The most important organizational arrangements of the General Authority for Conventions & Exhibitions include the replacement of the Authority's Board of Directors in place of the Supervisory Committee of the National Program for Conventions & Exhibitions. Provided that the Authority's Board of Directors shall take all necessary decisions to transfer the competencies of the aforementioned Program, also all the employees, contracts and assets to the Conventions & Exhibitions Authority. The said Program will be terminated upon completion of transferring the relevant competences.
The Board of Directors of the Conventions & Exhibitions Authority shall also supervise and be in charge of the regulations, orders, royal decrees, decisions and instructions related to the Authority's competences, besides reviewing and proposing whatever necessary in that regard, also submitting reports within twelve months.
Among the most important features of the organizational arrangements of the General Authority for Conventions & Exhibitions are developing legislations and policies for the Conventions & Exhibitions Sector, also issuing approvals for governmental bodies and licenses for non-governmental parties to hold exhibitions and conventions, as well as highlighting the Kingdom's role as an attractive destination for holding exhibitions and conventions, besides attracting qualitative international exhibitions and conventions, also supporting and developing the domestic ones, in addition to encouraging the investment in this sector, more over training the national cadres, besides supporting and empowering the entrepreneurs in this sector.
The implementation of these organizational arrangements shall contribute to overcoming obstacles and barriers, besides facilitating the procedures for holding conventions and exhibitions, also consolidating the concerned efforts, as well as adapting the national trends of this sector, in addition to attracting and encouraging the international organizers and companies to hold exhibitions and conventions in the Kingdom, also raising the quality standards and promoting this sector, and contributing to attracting investors and developing its infrastructure, also training and qualifying the Saudi manpower, as well as stimulating the organizers and events supervisors to raise the quality of conventions and exhibitions.