RECOGNISING the pioneering role of HH Prince Khalid Al-Faisal bin Abdel Aziz, the Governor of Makkah Region, in international tourism, the royal was named ‘Leading Personality of the Year’ at the World Travel Awards Grand Final in London.
Announcing the award to Prince Khalid, the president and founder of Word Travel Awards (WTA), Graham Cooke commented: “At the World Travel Awards, our goal is to seek out those who are doing more than anyone else to transform the tourism industry – those players with vision, courage and dedication in making tourism a force for good and a force for change. Prince Khalid Al-Faisal embraces vision and innovation as part of his life.”
The award was collected on Prince Khalid’s behalf by HH Prince Saud bin Khalid Al-Faisal.
As one of the most prestigious international awards, the Leading Personality Award is a rare gem amongst the other annual awards by WTA and has been presented only three times since the start of WTA IN 1993.
Governor, philanthropist, poet, artist and visionary, Prince Khalid is most renowned in relation to the development of Asir Region, Makkah Region, King Faisal International Prize and the Arab Thought Foundation. He is also celebrated for his love of the arts having held many international painting exhibitions, two of which were combined exhibitions with HH Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales.
As a governor, his region includes Islam’s holy capital, Makkah, Saudi Arabia’s principal commercial hub, main seaport and the kingdom’s second largest city, Jeddah, and the tourist destination Taif which is known for an annual event, Souq Okaz. A city deeply rooted in history, Makkah is one of the most ancient tourist destinations known to mankind. Acknowledging its significance, the Governor of Makkah emphasised the importance of making the city one of the most beautiful, clean, civilised and advanced destinations in the world.
In Riyadh, he has masterminded the formation and execution of the country’s first skyscraper, Al Faisaliah Tower, which has transformed the Riyadh skyline since 2000. Al Faisaliah Centre was also awarded the Leading Mixed-use Complex for 2010, recognising the achievements of Al Khozama Management Company, a subsidiary of King Faisal Foundation.