The Possible Fiction

Why "imagination"? Years ago, I decided to document the experience of the General Authority for Tourism and National Heritage and its journey in community building and organization since its inception on 12 Muharram 1421 AH (April 17, 2000 CE), and my honor of being appointed as its first Secretary-General, establishing the General Secretariat, and later as head of the special region for some of its branches until 18 Rabi‘ al-Thani 1440 AH (December 27, 2018 CE). I wanted to present this multifaceted experience, with all its intersections and issues with which the Authority collaborated, in a comprehensive book; because this work offers benefits that can be compiled in similar experiences, given the advanced state of the tourism and national heritage industry today; it has reached horizons that even people optimistically imagined, and this has been achieved after we have progressed beyond what is before us in the field of national tourism on the path of growth; Convinced that tourism and national heritage are essential elements of future development and fundamental pillars of the national economy and light employment opportunities, and effective tools for fostering understanding of one‘s homeland, its people, its civilization, and its unique characteristics rarely found in one country, this book is primarily a tribute to all who worked with us and participated in the most significant events and developments that marked this important phase in the history of national tourism. It will subsequently pave the way for future initiatives to preserve national cultural heritage. Heritage Foundation (Non-Profit)