Under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Faisal bin Khalid bin Abdul Aziz, Governor of the Asir region, and in the presence of the President of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage, His Royal Highness, Prince Sultan bin Salman, King Khalid University represented by the Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Center for Research in Environmental Studies and Tourism is preparing to participate in organizing the forum of Urban Tourism in the Mountainous Areas of Asir. The forum will be held at the theater of Asir Region Municipality, in Abha, in the period between 28–29/12/1438 AH.

The bodies that are taking parts in organizing the forum beside the University are the Asir Region Municipality and the Asir Branch of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage. Interestingly, the forum will host a number of academics, researchers, and the relevant stakeholders in the fields of tourism and urban development; including both governmental and private sectors.

The Head of the Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Center for Research in Environmental Studies and Tourism, Prof. Dr. Hussein Al Wadai, stressed the importance of the highly anticipated forum. He said, "From an economic perspective, tourism is currently one of the most growing industries in the world. It plays a significant role in increasing the national income and is a primary source for foreign exchanges."

Al Wadai explained that the tourism field provides tremendous opportunities for laborers who are the primary beneficiaries of the developmental programs. He added, "From a cultural perspective, it preserves the historical and cultural heritage of the countries. It is the wealth of the present and the future and is considered an important financial source for countries. It also tells and documents the unique cultural heritage of people lived in the land."

In addition to that, Al Wadai pointed to the University's participation in the forum is centered on several axes. The primary axis is focused on mountain tourism as one of the burgeoning sources of attraction. Another angle rotates around the discussion of challenges facing mountain tourism. The forum topics will also cover mountain tourism opportunities and their impacts on the community development, and aspirations for mountain tourism in the Asir region, as well as some tourism components in the Asir region.

It is worth mentioning, the Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Center for Research in Environmental Studies and Tourism have ten units concerned about tourism and environmental studies, harmful pests to human health and economy, and remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS). Moreover, the center also includes a community service unit that is responsible for holding and organizing seminars, workshops, and conferences, and providing scientific and technical consultation on environmental and tourism problems and projects.