Published on
November 10, 2025
Saudi Arabia sent a strong message at the World Travel Market (WTM) 2025 in London, showcasing its remarkable tourism potential to the world. At the WTM, the Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) presented the “Saudi Land” pavilion with 71 strategic partners, highlighting some of Saudi Arabia’s most iconic destinations and the world-class events that the Kingdom has to offer, showcasing its rapidly growing tourism potential. Saudi Arabia’s diverse tourism offerings, from the spectacular Saudi Red Sea coastline, the historic treasures of AlUla, and the vibrant modern cities of Riyadh and Jeddah, also strengthen the Kingdom’s position as a key destination for international travelers.
Saudi Arabia’s Growing Tourism Potential
The Saudi Tourism Authority shared how quickly Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector has advanced over the past few years. In 2024, the Kingdom received 116 million tourists. More than 60 million of those came in the first 6 months of 2025! Visitors are starting to see the potential for Saudi Arabia’s tourism offers, especially with the diversification of the country’s economy. Expanding offers with developed tourism centers will help provide more annual events due to the increased investment in tourism infrastructure.
During WTM 2025, STA highlighted its bold travel expansion strategy, nicknamed the “Unreal Calendar.” It showcases several prominent international events planned for the next year, including the Formula 1 Grand Prix, the MDLBEAST Soundstorm music festival, the Spanish and Italian Super Cups, and the WWE Royal Rumble. These events are part of a greater plan to encourage tourists to visit Saudi Arabia and cater to all kinds of travelers, including sports and culture.
Showcasing Saudi Arabia’s Destinations
At WTM 2025, Saudi Arabia focused on showcasing the beauty of the Kingdom, where diverse and spectacular destinations were highlighted. Some points of interest included Riyadh, Jeddah, and AlUla. Visitors were able to catch a glimpse of the unique heritage and modern innovations of Saudi Arabia.
The capital city has a modern and futuristic skyline and is emerging as a vibrant, bustling metropolis. A blend of culture, shopping and entertainment, and leisure travelers is becoming attracted to Riyadh.
Offering the best access to the Red Sea, Jeddah has a rich culture and splendid beaches. With an interesting history, Jeddah is becoming a favored destination for heritage, modern charm, and entertainment.
For tourists interested in history and culture, AlUla is a great blend of ancient beauty, has beautiful landscapes and great places to visit. AlUla is topped by the famous rock tombs of Madain Saleh, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. AlUla is an important center for culture and tourism, with a large eagerness to learn about the history of Saudi Arabia.
The Saudi pavilion also focused on emerging attractions, including the luxury offerings on Shura Island and the upcoming Six Flags Qiddiya City, illustrating the Kingdom’s commitment to creating world-class attractions for all types of travelers.
Immersive Experiences and Strategic Partnerships
The centerpiece of the “Saudi Land” pavilion was an immersive experience that allowed attendees to discover Saudi Arabia’s vital tourist offerings. They witnessed captivating digital exhibits, live performances, and cultural showcases featuring a plethora of pieces from the Kingdom’s vast history and contemporary travel wonders. During the pavilion’s entertainment portions, traditional Saudi culture was performed, fostering an ambiance of joy reminiscent of the Kingdom’s hospitality.
Aside from the immersive attractions, Saudi Arabia used the occasion to consolidate and expand the Kingdom’s strategic relationships in the international travel and tourism sectors. On the event’s opening day, numerous strategic deals, or MoUs, were established with world-class travel and tourism entities, affirming the Kingdom’s strategic focus on sustainable partnerships for the future. These included partnerships between the STA and Saudia Holidays and TUI Group, among other global leaders in the tourism sector.
Besides its formal partnerships, STA set up close to 500 meetings with leaders from different countries and industries to consider new ways to work together, define new growth strategies, and determine what the future may hold for Saudi tourism. These meetings showcased The Kingdom’s focus on developing its tourism infrastructure, extending its air connectivity, and its efforts to be a global tourism destination accessible all year round.
Abdullah Alhagbani, the Chief Partnerships and Regulatory Affairs Officer at STA, spoke on behalf of the authority when he expressed enthusiasm for the positive developments that the country has been experiencing over the last few years. He spoke on the remarkable growth of Saudi Arabia as a destination and the economic benefits for the country. He also spoke on the country’s diversity with regard to its tourism. Offering many different attractions and events for different travelers to be able to choose from. To this end, the “Unreal Calendar” was introduced as a key component to the ongoing efforts to ensure Saudi Arabia remains top of mind as a destination for tourism and investment.
Alhagbani also talked about the future with optimism about the Saudi tourism sector. He mentioned that the continuous development of tourism facilities and the introduction of experiences for tourists will aid the future sector expansion. He describes Saudi Arabia as one of the tourism sector’s fastest-growing destinations and encourages international tourism stakeholders to take advantage of what the Kingdom has to offer.
Conclusion: A Thriving Future for Saudi Tourism
The Saudi Tourism Authority’s participation in WTM 2025 is another milestone in the Kingdom’s tourism development. By highlighting its unique locations and events as well as collaborating with other top destinations, Saudi Arabia is creating a name for itself as a premier travel destination. The “Saudi Land” pavilion was a colorful and lively exhibit of the Kingdom’s diversification of its tourism to the world.
