Saudi Arabia Hosts Regional Trade Policy Course for Middle East Participants

File photo of Saudi flag/Asharq Al-Awsat
File photo of Saudi flag/Asharq Al-Awsat
TT

Saudi Arabia Hosts Regional Trade Policy Course for Middle East Participants

File photo of Saudi flag/Asharq Al-Awsat
File photo of Saudi flag/Asharq Al-Awsat

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, represented by the General Authority of Foreign Trade, is hosting the Regional Trade Policy Course for Middle Eastern countries.
Organized in collaboration with the World Trade Organization and King Saud University, the course will run from October 13 to December 5.
The eight-week course is designed for government officials from Middle Eastern countries to exchange information, expertise, and enhance communication. It focuses on deepening participants' understanding of the economic and legal aspects of World Trade Organization rules, controls, and procedures, SPA reported.
Hosting this course aligns with the Kingdom's goals of supporting the national competencies and capabilities of trade policy makers in the region.
By enabling participants to keep pace with international standards and foreign trade rules, the Kingdom aims to contribute to sustainable development, improve the business environment, and enhance economic stability in the Middle East.
The World Trade Organization's selection of Saudi Arabia as host country confirms its pivotal role in promoting regional and international trade.



Morocco Receives 17.4 Million Tourists in 2024, Up 20% on 2023

FILE PHOTO: People walk outside the Cinema Museum of Ouarzazate, Morocco, October 23, 2024. REUTERS/Stelios Misinas/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: People walk outside the Cinema Museum of Ouarzazate, Morocco, October 23, 2024. REUTERS/Stelios Misinas/File Photo
TT

Morocco Receives 17.4 Million Tourists in 2024, Up 20% on 2023

FILE PHOTO: People walk outside the Cinema Museum of Ouarzazate, Morocco, October 23, 2024. REUTERS/Stelios Misinas/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: People walk outside the Cinema Museum of Ouarzazate, Morocco, October 23, 2024. REUTERS/Stelios Misinas/File Photo

Morocco received a record 17.4 million tourists in 2024, up 20% compared with previous year, with Moroccans living abroad accounting for nearly half the total, the tourism ministry said on Thursday.
Tourism accounts for about 7% of the North African country's gross domestic product and is a key source of jobs and foreign currency, Reuters reported.
The number of arrivals this year was two years ahead of target, the ministry said in a statement. It expects Morocco to receive 26 million tourists by 2030, when the country co-hosts the World Cup, together with Spain and Portugal.
Morocco has opened additional air routes to key tourist markets, while promoting new destinations within the country and encouraging the renovation of hotels.
From January to November, tourism revenue rose 7.2% to a record 104 billion dirhams, according to Morocco's foreign exchange regulator.