SAUDIA Group has signed a partnership agreement with Saudi Projects in a strategic initiative to enhance local media content and to enrich its in-flight entertainment experience. This collaboration brings episodes of the acclaimed media programs of Saudi Projects to SAUDIA’s BEYOND entertainment system, significantly enhancing the guests’ travel experience. The agreement was signed by Khaled Tash, Group Chief Marketing Officer at SAUDIA, and Eng. Mishal Al-Qassim, Founder and CEO of Saudi Projects. Saudi Projects’ media programs will be highlighted in the “Discover Saudi” library of SAUDIA’s BEYOND entertainment system, providing guests with unique insights into the Kingdom’s ambitious development projects. This is aligned with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030, focusing on tourism, economic growth, and enhancing the “Quality of Life” Program. Khaled Tash, Group Chief Marketing Officer of SAUDIA, said: “This partnership brings numerous advantages, particularly in strengthening local content, which is a central focus of SAUDIA’s new strategic direction. Our BEYOND entertainment system now offers 243 hours of diverse local content, available in both visual and audio formats. This initiative not only broadens the entertainment choices for our guests but also enhances a key aspect of their travel experience.” BEYOND, SAUDIA’s innovative in-flight entertainment system, offers an immersive and interactive experience, featuring over 5,000 hours of HD content tailored to a wide range of guest preferences and age groups, available in 16 languages. Eng. Mishal Al-Qassim highlighted that this agreement will support Saudi Projects platform in expanding its publishing channels and reaching various audience segments, aiming to achieve the highest levels of engagement with all its programs and media products. These efforts focus on showcasing the Kingdom’s projects, future, and diverse economic opportunities, while also aiming to enhance …
Read More »Riyadh Air and EgyptAir sign MoU to offer guests greater benefits and connectivity
Riyadh Air signed a strategic cooperation Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with EGYPTAIR to offer guests of both airlines a wide range of exclusive benefits when traveling between Saudi Arabia, Egypt and other key destinations, at the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Annual General Meeting (AGM) on June 4, 2024, in Dubai. This strategic partnership further strengthens ties between the two nations and their respective markets, while unlocking new travel options for airline guests. Together, Riyadh Air and EGYPTAIR aim to develop a partnership that allows guests a greater choice when traveling between Riyadh and Cairo, while also offering connectivity to a range of other domestic and international destinations across the Middle East and Africa. Tony Douglas, CEO of Riyadh Air: “The signing of this Strategic Cooperation MoU with EGYPTAIR is an exciting achievement for Riyadh Air and brings many positive benefits for our guests. As a close neighboring country to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Egypt is a market where we anticipate significant traffic both to and from Riyadh and Cairo, so it’s critically important that we work closely together to further drive demand. “The partnership will offer our guests much more choice between Riyadh and Cairo plus a wider range of destinations. There will be benefits between both airline’s loyalty programs and numerous other advantages and rewards that we look forward to sharing with our guests.” Eng. Yehia Zakaria, EGYPTAIR Group Chairman: This cooperation marks a new chapter in EGYPTAIR’s partnership as we embark on a collaboration with Riyadh Air. This exciting development signifies our commitment to expand our network and offering our passengers unique travel experiences. I am confident that this partnership with Riyadh Air will not only …
Read More »Saudi Minister of Tourism highlights the role of collaboration between tourism and aviation to drive economic growth
His Excellency Ahmed Al-Khateeb, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Tourism, stressed the importance of collaboration between stakeholders from the tourism and aviation sectors to drive economic growth and create seamless travel experiences. Speaking at the Future Aviation Forum in Riyadh, the minister highlighted the Kingdom’s efforts to leverage new air connections to boost inbound tourism and accelerate sector growth. “Gathering here at the Future Aviation Forum, it is important to emphasize the intersecting relationship between tourism and aviation. Ensuring the strategic expansion and sustainability of air routes is critical for our tourism goals,” said Minister Al-Khateeb during his keynote speech titled “Sky High Tourism – Unlocking Destinations and Cultural Exchange Now and in the Future.” In the past two years, Saudi Arabia’s air connectivity network expanded greatly, with Saudi airports adding 28 new routes from international destinations. In the first four months of 2024 alone, airlines from key markets in Europe and East Asia have initiated direct flights to the Kingdom. These airlines include China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Air China, ITA Airways, and Eurowings. With visitors from 66 countries now benefiting from the Saudi eVisa, the Kingdom’s tourism market has been on an upward trajectory in recent years. Recognized as the second fastest-growing tourism market globally in 2023, Saudi Arabia welcomed 107 million tourists, with 27.4 million of these being international arrivals. Tourism currently represents 4% of GDP in the Kingdom– with a target of 10% GDP contribution by 2030. Aiming to attract 150 million tourists by that year – of which 70 million will be international arrivals – global airlines and tour operators will play a key role in this development. Minister Al-Khateeb added, “This growth is a …
Read More »Saudi Arabia calls for greater collaboration at G20 tourism ministerial meeting
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 …
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