Riyadh, May 27, 2021, SPA -- The UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) for the Middle East held its 47th Meeting here on Thursday, after inaugurating its first regional office for the Middle East, in the presence of the Minister for Tourism of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Ahmed Al-Khateeb, UNWTO Secretary General Zurab Pololikashvili and the Regional Director UNWTO for the Middle East Basmah bint Abdulaziz Al-Mayman. The session was held under the chairmanship of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) headed by Minister of State for Entrepreneurship and Small and Medium Enterprises Dr. Ahmed bin Abdullah Hamid Belhoul Al Falasi. The Regional Director of UNWTO for the Middle East Basmah bint Abdulaziz Al-Mayman pointed out that the office will help the UNWTO to develop tourism in all countries of the Middle East, noting that the office will support and implement the activities of the UNWTO in the Middle East. She stressed that the Kingdom is working on major tourism projects at the global level, and is also working to increase the number of arriving tourists and ease the procedures for issuing visas to tourists. For his part, UNWTO Secretary General said that the agreement was signed with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to support and enhance the cooperation with UNWTO in the Middle East for 15 years. --SPA 00:48 LOCAL TIME 21:48 GMT 0003 www.spa.gov.sa/w1563365