Manila seeks Saudi investment in tourism projects

The Philippines is trying to sell Saudi businessmen on investing in the development of its infrastructure, especially in projects related to tourism.
Philippine Ambassador Ezzedin H. Tago presented his case in a meeting at the Asharqia Chamber yesterday. He invited Saudi businessmen to consider investments in hotels, motels, resorts and recreational facilities in the Philippines.
Tago was leading a trade delegation from the Philippines, which presented an array of foodstuffs for import such as sweets, snacks, noodles, biscuits, agricultural products and a range of tropical fruits including pineapples and bananas.
Asharqia Chamber board member Abdullah A. Almajdouie and Secretary-General Abdul Rahman A. Al-Wabel welcomed the Philippine delegation.
Highlighting the potential in his country’s tourism sector, Tago said the Philippines was an archipelago composed of 7,107 islands offering a wide selection of beaches. Some Philippine beaches, such as Boracy with its famous white sand, have received international recognition and awards.
The Philippine diplomat focused on Palawan Underground River which is one of the renowned tourist attractions in the Philippines. It was listed in the New 7 Wonders of Nature in 2012. With a length of 8.2 km, the Palawan Underground River is the longest navigable underground river in the world. It is also one of the two UNESCO Heritage sites in the Philippines.
“Although we have a lot of world-class tourist attractions, the number of tourists from Saudi Arabia has not reached satisfactory levels,” Tago said, adding that nearly 30,000 Saudi tourists traveled to the Philippines in 2012. The country attracted more than 4.2 million visitors last year.
The ambassador outlined his government’s public-private partnership program under which a number of projects have been planned to be developed in cooperation with foreign and local investors. He urged Saudi investors to participate in these projects. In January 2013, four major infrastructure projects

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