Sunday, January 26, 2025 At the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting , Saudi Arabia ’s Minister of Tourism, His Excellency Ahmed A. Al-Khateeb , emphasized the transformative power of the travel and tourism sector in driving sustainable and diversified economic growth. Speaking on high-level panels, Minister Al-Khateeb called for increased global attention to the sector’s potential in catalyzing cross-border collaboration, innovation, and resilience.
Saudi Arabia’s tourism industry has seen unprecedented growth, welcoming nearly 30 million international visitors in 2024 and contributing 5% to the Kingdom’s GDP , according to Saudi Vision 2030 reports. This development is part of the Kingdom’s strategy to diversify its economy beyond oil by creating a world-class tourism ecosystem rooted in sustainability, global partnerships, and inclusivity. Minister Al-Khateeb’s participation in official WEF sessions, such as “Travel and Tourism’s Role in Building Trust” and “The Way We Will Travel,” underscored Saudi Arabia’s leadership in shaping the future of tourism.
At the Saudi House event, he led discussions on “Scaling Sustainable Tourism: Connecting People and Places,” where he highlighted the importance of balancing tourism growth with social and environmental responsibility. Aligned with Vision 2030 , the Saudi Ministry of Tourism launched its “Hospitality Investor White Paper” during the WEF Annual Meeting. The initiative aims to attract over.
