JEDDAH: The president of the Arab Tourism Organization, Dr. Bandar bin Fahd Al-Fuhaid, has commended Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH), and its chairman, Prince Sultan bin Salman, for its efforts to promote destinations in the Kingdom and showcase their cultural diversity. His comments came as he and the authority’s director-general in the Eastern Province, Abdullatif Al-Bunyan, visited a museum in Dammam. “The authority has become a distinctive model due to its experiences, programs and vision, which helped draw the attention of many international organizations working in the tourism sector,” said Al-Fuhaid. “It has significant achievements in both tourism and heritage.” In particular, he highlighted the efforts exerted by the authority’s branch in the Eastern Province to support and improve the tourism sector. “The ATO is touring all the regions of the Kingdom to examine and present a number of tourism programs,” he said. “The Eastern Province has many beaches that can be used for Formula 1 boat racing and environmental fishing. These projects will be presented to the region’s businessmen along with other projects in order to support this sector in the region. “This tour comes within the framework of the organization’s keenness to visit the Kingdom’s important tourist, historic and heritage landmarks and set a strategy for the joint cooperation with the authority’s branches in the Kingdom. “Saudi Arabia established the ATO in 2001 with the support of Prince Sultan, and a royal decree based it in Jeddah. The Kingdom’s leadership has been backing the organization ever since,” Al-Fuhaid added, noting that “all the Arab countries are members of the ATO.”