Tag Archives: Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia registered more international arrivals than any other Arab nation during the first nine months of 2022, as government officials target 100 million annual visitors by the end of this decade. Owing to these unprecedented numbers, the Kingdom’s burgeoning tourism sector will represent a key focus at Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2023, which will take place at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) from 1-4 May. This year’s Saudi Summit will take place on the Global Stage and focus on the importance of the Kingdom in reshaping the regional travel and tourism landscape now that mega projects are well under way. In addition to the summit, ATM 2023 will feature a host of Saudi exhibitors, including Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAUDIA), flynas, Makkah Clock Royal Tower, Asma Hospitality Company, Eye of Riyadh, Itrip, Dur Hospitality, Sadana Real Estate Co, Saudi Amad for Airport Services & Transport Support and many more. Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said: “The ATM 2023 Saudi Summit will offer an ideal forum in which travel professionals and policymakers from across the Middle East and beyond can explore opportunities and challenges within the Kingdom’s ever-growing tourism sector. “From upcoming giga-developments such as NEOM and the Red Sea Project to how the Kingdom’s latest visa reforms are bolstering its travel sector, we expect Saudi Arabia to represent a major drawcard during the upcoming edition of ATM,” Curtis added. Figures released by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) show that Saudi Arabia attracted more than 18 million inbound visits in the first three quarters of 2022, followed by the United Arab Emirates (14.8 million tourists) and Morocco (11 million tourists), which ranked second and third in …

Marriott International continues to reinforce its commitment to developing the next generation of hospitality leaders in Saudi Arabia with a dedicated workshop for women participants and alumni from the company’s Tahseen programme. The event took place in Riyadh in the presence of H.H. Princess Nouf Bint Faisal Bin Turki Al Saud and Anthony Capuano, Chief Executive Officer, Marriott International.   The workshop was attended by more than 40 women who are currently enrolled in or graduated from Tahseen, Marriott’s leadership programme in the Kingdom.  During the event, H.H. Princess Nouf Bint Faisal Bin Turki Al Saud inspired the group by speaking about her journey and experiences. H.H. Princess Nouf Bint Faisal Bin Turki Al Saud said, “I value this pioneering initiative by Marriott International for Young Saudi Women to learn and support the country’s Vision for 2030.  The vision of the country promises Saudi women senior, executive and other management positions in various institutions, with their knowledge, awareness and experience.” The group also heard from Marriott International’s Chief Executive Officer, Anthony Capuano, President for EMEA, Satya Anand and Chief Operating Officer, Middle East, Sandeep Walia.  Marriott’s leadership reinforced the company’s commitment to the advancement of women and increasing the presence of women leaders at all levels of the organisation.  During the workshop, all participants also went through an exercise on their personal branding which included identifying and establishing their key strengths and building leadership presence. Sandeep Walia, Chief Operating Officer, Middle East, Marriott International commented, “As part of our leadership development efforts in Saudi Arabia, we look forward to advancing the next generation of women hospitality leaders in the country.  We remain committed to investing in local talent to ensure the …

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, the world’s largest hotel franchising company with approximately 9,100 hotels across more than 95 countries, announces the reintroduction of direct franchising and management rights for its Ramada by Wyndham brand in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, replacing exclusive master licence agreements for the brand in the country. With more than 900 hotels globally, Ramada is Wyndham’s largest brand in Europe, Middle East, Eurasia and Africa (EMEA), with over 200 hotels in approximately 40 countries in the region, of which over 30 in the Middle East and Africa region alone. The move is aligned with Wyndham’s’ strategy to expand the brand in the wider Middle East and Africa region, where the Company’s development pipeline includes approximately 26 hotels, of which nearly 60% are under the Ramada portfolio. Dimitris Manikis, President EMEA, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, said: “Ramada by Wyndham is not only our biggest brand in EMEA but also one of the most well-known brands by travellers around the world. This strategic move marks an important step in helping us further expand in a high-potential market like the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where there is a significant need for high quality mid-scale hotels. We are committed to contributing to the development of the Kingdom’s tourism through the expansion of our mid-market and economy presence, to help bring even more accommodation options to suit all visitors to the Kingdom.” As part of the Company’s expansion plan in the Saudi Arabia, Wyndham has recently opened Ramada by Wyndham Riyadh King Fahd Road, its 13th hotel in the country. The new hotel boasts 189 rooms and suites, providing warm hospitality and comfort right in the heart of the city. Alongside contemporary …

His Excellency the Minister of Tourism, Ahmed bin Aqeel Al-Khateeb, inaugurated the MT Unified Platform, which is the latest government service platform in the Kingdom, during the Digital Government Forum 2022 themed “Towards a Promising Digital Horizon.” The forum was organized by the Digital Government Authority recently in Riyadh, while several government agencies participated in the presence of Their Excellencies, as well as experts, specialists, and decision-makers in the field of digital government locally and internationally. In its first edition, the forum aims to showcase digital government achievements and success stories locally and internationally. It also seeks to enable digital community elites to meet, communicate, exchange experiences, build partnerships, discuss challenges and best modern technological practices, review future digital governments directions, and discuss investment opportunities within the Saudi digital sector. The forum also included a presentation of the most prominent digital government products, in addition to several new publications, most notably MT’s Unified Tourism Platform. The platform aims to attract investors and provide services to job seekers and tourism service providers as part of MT’s efforts to activate the Digital Tourism Strategy launched by His Excellency the Minister at the beginning of this year. The Unified Platform has an attractive design and a smart user interface that provides MT’s various services in a user-friendly fashion. It also provides information on each service as well as step-by-step explanations to ensure the users get the best experience. The Ministry was also keen on supporting the platform with the best technological services and allocated a technical support team for it to provide assistance. The Unified Platform development is part of MT’s efforts to enhance the digital transformation process in the Kingdom and contribute …

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC)  unveiled groundbreaking new data detailing the climate footprint of the global Travel & Tourism sector. The findings were launched today at the global tourism body’s 22nd Global Summit in Riyadh by the World Travel & Tourism Council and the Saudi-based Sustainable Global Tourism Center. In a world-first, this comprehensive research covers 185 countries across all regions and will be updated each year with the latest figures. During her opening speech Julia Simpson, President & CEO of WTTC announced the findings of the Environmental & Social Research (ESR). In one of the largest research projects of its kind ever undertaken, WTTC can for the first time ever, accurately report and track the impact industries within the sector have on the environment. Previous estimates have suggested that the global Travel & Tourism sector was responsible for up to 11% of all emissions. However, WTTC’s pioneering research shows that in 2019 the sector’s greenhouse gas emissions totalled just 8.1% globally. The divergence of the sector’s economic growth from its climate footprint between 2010 and 2019 is evidence that Travel & Tourism’s economic growth is decoupling from its greenhouse gas emissions. These emissions have been falling consistently since 2010 as the result of technological developments, as well as the introduction of a number of energy efficiency measures across industries within the sector. Between 2010 and 2019 our sector’s GDP has grown on average 4.3% annually whilst its environmental footprint has only increased by 2.4%. The broader Environmental & Social Research (ESR) will include measures of the sector’s impact against a range of indicators, including pollutants, energy sources, water use, as well as social data, including age, wage and gender profiles of Travel & Tourism …

Sabre Corporation hosted an interactive event for key travel players in Saudi Arabia. The event, which took place in Riyadh last week brought together key decision-makers from travel companies, online agencies and corporations to discuss the evolving industry landscape in the kingdom and the region, the need for digital transformation and Sabre’s latest technology solutions. “Saudi Arabia is a particularly exciting country to be in right now,” said Abdul-Razzaq Iyer, vice president, Sabre Travel Network Middle East. “It has a bright vision to build a progressive global tourism brand, and our customers need the right technology to help them leverage this unique opportunity for growth.  In parallel, the industry has become more complex post-pandemic, so simplifying the travel journey will be particularly important.  We will continue to deliver best-in-class technologies, including AI-driven products to travel agencies, across the region to help our travel partners tap into this growth.” At the Riyadh event, Sabre showcased its latest technology, including corporate solutions, application programming interface (APIs) and automation, and outlined how these solutions can increase efficiency through automation, allowing agents to spend more time to serve their customers and keep track of latest trends.  Solutions in the online and mobile space were also highlighted, in addition to innovative point-of-sale, Sabre Red 360, which offers an intuitive, customizable workflow and significant benefits for travel agents, including reduced training time and costs.  The technology is proven to reduce training times from weeks to hours. “We are helping some of the leading travel agencies in Saudi enter the online space, through access to intelligent technology that can personalize the customer journey,” continued Abdul-Razzaq. “Travel agencies continue to evolve, adapting to new consumer needs and leveraging …

The G20 Tourism Ministerial Meeting hosted under the 2022 Indonesian Presidency, brought together Ministers from across the globe under the theme ‘Recover Together, Recover Stronger’ to address key issues arising in the aftermath of the pandemic. Steered by the theme, the G20 Bali Guidelines aim to provide a framework to advance the transformation of the tourism sector through policy action on MSMEs and communities, and focused on three priority issues, Global Health Architecture, Digital Transformation and Sustainable Energy Transition. His Excellency Ahmed Al Khateeb called on tourism leaders during the Ministerial Meeting to join collaborative efforts to build a more resilient and sustainable future for the sector. Alluding to the importance of public and private partnerships, His Excellency addressed the first meeting of private sector leaders at a G2O Tourism Minister’s Meeting and expressed the importance of co-operation in shaping the future of the sector. Saudi Arabia has a strong history of cross-sector collaboration, it is home to the first regional office of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and last year agreed plans to open the Tourism Academy in Riyadh to empower young people with the skills needed to flourish in the tourism sector. Supporting the recovery of the sector by investing in human capital is a key focus for the Kingdom, further demonstrated by the roll-out of internationally acclaimed Tourism Trailblazer’s program that is investing $100m to train 100,000 young Saudis for different roles across the hospitality industry. In November of this year, the Kingdom will welcome the largest edition of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) which brings together leaders from across the world to discuss and address key priorities affecting the sector. During the …

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s tourism ecosystem is undergoing a major overhaul with the announcement of a New Tourism Law approved this week by a Council of Ministers Resolution. The law will accelerate the development of an internationally competitive tourism sector in the Kingdom which will drive business, innovation, and investment. The New Tourism Law will establish new regulatory environments in the Kingdom to attract tourism innovators and improve ease of doing business. This allows new or experimental tourism businesses to receive special licenses and support from the Ministry, allowing them to flourish. It will also streamline licensing processes and procedures by creating a one-stop-shop platform for all tourism stakeholders. Both initiatives were announced in February 2022 as part of the Ministry’s Digital Tourism Strategy. With the new legal framework, the Ministry of Tourism will have greater control of the quality of tourism services offered within the Kingdom, ensuring the highest standards possible for both tourists and businesses while also strengthening destination development. The law also extends the Ministry’s remit for swift collaboration with government entities to mitigate risks and manage crises. The Council of Ministers further approved a resolution that empowers the Ministry of Tourism to enable sector growth. The resolution gives the Ministry permission to facilitate tax and custom exceptions or reductions with related government entities, creating powerful incentives for businesses to invest into the Kingdom’s growing tourism sector. It also enables the Ministry to work collaboratively with other private sector entities to establish work plans and training programs, enabling job creation and training for Saudis and boosting human capital development in the Kingdom. This new framework for collaboration with the private sector and relevant government entities will …

As part of the group’s ongoing expansion strategy in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Radisson Hotel Group (RHG) remains committed to upskilling Saudi nationals working in the hospitality industry. To further cement its intensive recruitment efforts in one of its key market feeders, the group has launched ‘A Brilliant Journey of Advance Development Programme’ (ABJAD), targeting employees within the Kingdom to develop their leadership profile and help them progress in their roles across its portfolio of 26 operational hotels. Alongside Radisson Hotel Group’s robust expansion plans, ABJAD aims to develop talents by producing skilled, well-trained and talented Saudi managers. The name “ABJAD” is derived from articulating the first letters of the Arabic alphabet in its original order, and is often used to symbolise the beginning of learning something new, which in this case alludes to leadership. Through ABJAD, talents from all departments currently on supervisory level will be provided with the tools, resources and guidance as they prepare for the next step in their hospitality career. ABJAD intends to flourish the talents with a focus on the following pillars: Own, Deliver, Collaborate, Lead. This initiative is also aligned with the Saudi 2030 Vision to raise the contribution of the tourism sector to the domestic product to more than 10% and to provide one million job opportunities. It further cements the group’s commitment to the region, in line with its new office in the Kingdom that is set to become operational at the end of the year. Basel Talal, Managing Director, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the Levant at Radisson Hotel Group comments: “Saudi Arabia remains to be a key market for us at Radisson Hotel Group and we aim to strengthen …

Wizz Air, Europe’s fastest growing and most sustainable airline, is launching 20 exciting new routes from Bucharest, Budapest, Catania, Larnaca, Milan, Naples, Rome, Sofia, Tirana, Venice and Vienna to Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The airline introduces a new era of extended travel opportunities at ultra-low fares between Europe and the Kingdom to strengthen Saudi Arabia’s global connectivity.  Tickets for all routes are already on sale on wizzair.com and the airline’s mobile app, with fares starting from 54.99 €.* The new routes will majorly enhance Wizz Air’s presence in the Kingdom that will boost the growing Saudi Arabian tourism sector and contribute to the Vision 2030 programme to triple the country’s passenger traffic by 2030. Just alone this expansion will bring over one million additional travellers to Saudi Arabia next year. Jozsef Varadi, CEO of Wizz Air, said: “Saudi Arabia is one of the most exciting countries in the world for aviation portraying an eclectic mix of travel opportunities with unmissable destinations, countless exciting attractions, and a thriving cultural scene. Today’s announcement follows the Memorandum of Understanding we recently signed with the government enabling us to contribute to Saudi tourism’s growth and its entire ecosystem.  Not only does Wizz Air offer incredibly low fares to travellers given our operational efficiency, but we also fly one the youngest, most modern, and sustainable fleet of aircraft in the world. I see the Kingdom as a long-term strategic market for Wizz Air where we will continue to innovate and carry the flag of low cost flying for the benefit of  Saudi residents and visitors as well as the country’s diversifying economy.” Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO and Member of the …