The Arab World Travel and Tourism conference and exhibition will take place at the BIEL Center in Beirut, October 7-10, under the patronage of HE President Emile Lahoud. Al-Iktissad Wal-Aamal Group and the Lebanese Ministry of Tourism organize AWTTE 2004 in cooperation with Middle East Airlines, the World Tourism Organization and the Federation of Lebanese and Arab Tourism Syndicates.

The AWTTE 2004 Conference, which will take place on October 8 and 9, will welcome as conference guest of honor, HRH Prince Al-Walid Bin Talal, Chairman of the Kingdom Holding Company and prominent investor in the Arab and international hotel industry. Prince Al-Walid will participate in the opening ceremony and later be available for a dialogue session with participants. The AWTTE Conference will also welcome 10 regional ministers to present summaries of their countries` tourism status and available investment opportunities to investors and promoters. According to Lebanese Minister of Tourism, HE Ali Hassan Abdullah, AWTTE 2004 constitutes a highly significant economic and tourism event in the region due to its ability to pool together such a large number of high-level speakers and participants, including leaders of Arab and foreign tourism and investment intuitions, in addition to major players in the regional tourism industry. We are proud, said Dr. Abdullah, of the development that has taken place this year with regard to the considerable increase in the number and level of expected participants in both the conference and the exhibition. And if the growth rate continues as it is, we hope that in three years we will have the most important tourism and investment stock market in the Arab region.

The president of Middle East Airlines, Mr. Mohammad Hout, announced that his company had become a strategic partner in the AWTTE Conference due to its strong belief in the seriousness and the great benefits of the event. The dynamism of the Lebanese company, he added, plays an important role in activating tourism not only in Lebanon, but also in the whole region. We cooperate with Arab and international fleets in order to help in the development of air transportation from and to the region and in order to help provide the best services for competitive prices.

Mr. Hout said that the combined efforts of the Arab and Lebanese parties involved in the organization of the conference would contribute to the formation of a practical and effective mechanism for regional cooperation and coordination.

Mr. Raouf Abou-Zaki, the General Director of Al-Iktissad Wal-Aamal Group, the organizer of AWTTE 2004, announced that the support of HE President Emile Lahoud and the participation of HE Prince Al-Walid Bin Talal along with the participation of a large number of Arab tourism ministers and hundreds of Arab and international companies were very important factors in helping to a distinguished and successful event. The success of AWTTE, said Mr. Abou-Zaki, comes at a time when pan-Arab tourism is witnessing noticeable development, something that helps attract significant investment to Arab tourism sectors due to the increase in demand.

The number of participants at the Conference is expected to reach around 600 people from 20 Arab and international countries. Some of the largest Arab companies will contribute to the sponsorship of the Conference including the Saudi Holding Company, the Metropolitan Palace Hotel, Real Estate TV, Middle East Airlines, in addition to the Jordanian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.