RIYADH: Saudi Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khatib has visited several accommodation facilities in Riyadh to determine their readiness to receive quarantine cases and meet the standards set by the Ministry of Health and other authorities, SPA reported. The ministry has set specific requirements that must be met as they will be equipped to receive quarantine cases as part of the Ministry of Tourism’s efforts in preparing hotels and tourist accommodation facilities throughout the Kingdom. The ministry is currently working to secure the largest number of accommodation facilities to ensure that they are ready when needed. The ministry has so far prepared 13 facilities in the Riyadh region, which include 1,892 rooms, as well as 10 facilities in Makkah with 2,827 rooms, and 10 in the Eastern Region with 1,894 rooms. As part of a large effort by all government sectors, Al-Khatib said that the ministry is keen on providing the necessary care to ensure the health and safety of citizens and residents, as well as citizens returning from abroad by hosting them in the best hotels and facilities as they receive the necessary care and the highest standards of service during the quarantine period. “We value national initiatives by investors, hotel owners and tourist accommodation facilities who want to donate their housing units to receive quarantine cases, and we hope that they communicate speedily with the Tourist Call Center 930, to ensure that all the requirements and standards required are met,” Al-Khatib said. He praised the integration of roles and the concerted efforts between all government agencies to overcome the current crisis and the ministry’s efforts to help through a 24-hour operations room and fieldwork teams in all regions of the Kingdom. “The efforts of the Ministry of Tourism are concerted with all the various authorities in spreading awareness messages, whether for campaigns directed at tourists and investors in the tourism field or for all citizens and residents,” he said.