Saudi Arabia’s Tourism Minister Highlights Travel's Role in Building Resilient Economies at WEF Annual Meeting

Tourism

Saudi Arabia’s Tourism Minister Highlights Travel's Role in Building Resilient Economies at WEF Annual Meeting

The transformative power of travel and tourism took center stage at the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos, with Saudi Arabia's Minister of Tourism, His Excellency Ahmed Al-Khateeb, emphasizing its potential to create diversified and resilient economies.

During his participation in official WEF sessions, His Excellency highlighted Saudi Arabia’s record-breaking tourism growth, which saw nearly 30 million international visitors in 2024, contributing approximately 5% to the Kingdom’s GDP. He called on global leaders to prioritize the sector to catalyze sustainable and inclusive economic development.

Speaking at the event, Minister Al-Khateeb said, “Tourism is more than an industry—it is a transformative force. We need collective action to balance economic growth with social and environmental responsibilities, ensuring the sector's long-term resilience.”

As a key figure in discussions like "Travel and Tourism’s Role in Building Trust" and "The Way We Will Travel," His Excellency advocated for global collaboration to meet the growing demand for sustainable travel. A high-level session at Saudi House further explored “Scaling Sustainable Tourism: Connecting People and Places.”

Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 tourism strategy, which aims to create a holistic and sustainable tourism ecosystem, was spotlighted during the meeting. The Ministry of Tourism also launched the "Hospitality Investor White Paper," an investment guide aimed at attracting SAR 40 billion (USD 11 billion) in private investments, contributing SAR 16 billion (USD 4 billion) to the GDP, and creating 1.6 million jobs by 2030.

Collaborating with leaders such as Albania Prime Minister Edi Rama, European Commissioner for Transport and Tourism Apostolos Tzitzikostas, and Trip.com CEO Jane Sun, Minister Al-Khateeb underscored the importance of cross-border partnerships to address challenges and seize opportunities in the tourism sector.

Additionally, the WEF’s "The Future of Travel and Tourism: Embracing Sustainable and Inclusive Growth" briefing paper featured expert insights from His Excellency on fostering global collaboration and ensuring local communities benefit from tourism's growth.

Minister Al-Khateeb’s active participation in Davos underscores Saudi Arabia’s pivotal role in reshaping the global tourism landscape, reinforcing its vision to establish itself as a leading hub for sustainable travel.