MANAMA: Saudi Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb on Wednesday stressed the importance of unifying health procedures in Arab countries to facilitate the movement of tourists. He said by doing so the Arab countries could compensate for the jobs lost in the sector due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Al-Khateeb also urged his Arab counterparts to launch training programs to develop the skills of their respective national cadres in the tourism sector. He expressed hope that such measures would help transform the tourism sector in the Arab world along modern lines and turn the region into a tourist hub capable of competing with the rest of the world. He praised the outcomes of the 23rd session of the Arab Ministerial Council for Tourism held in Manama. Al-Khateeb said the Kingdom look forward to the implementation of the recommendations of the meeting to boost tourism in the region. Commenting on the opening of the World Tourism Organization’s first regional office in Riyadh, the minister said the Saudi authorities will fully support the organization for the development of the tourism sector in the region. Al-Khateeb said the Kingdom, during its G20 presidency, contributed to the launching of initiatives to mitigate the effects of the pandemic and boost recovery of global tourism.