Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb participated in the FII PRIORITY Europe Summit, held in Rome from June 17 to 19, 2026, where he showcased Saudi Arabia's remarkable transformation of its tourism sector in line with the ambitious goals of Saudi Vision 2030. As part of the summit's official program, the minister participated in a fireside chat titled "Resilient by Design: Vision 2030 and the Architecture of Enduring Value." During the session, he shared insights into the evolution of Saudi Arabia's tourism sector, highlighting its robust performance amid regional challenges over the past six months and emphasizing the sector's resilience, its ability to recover quickly, and its continued momentum toward sustained growth, SPA reported. Al-Khateeb also underscored the Kingdom's significant investments in developing world-class tourism destinations, noting the tangible economic and social impact these investments are generating, including the creation of employment opportunities for Saudi nationals. Addressing the role of emerging technologies, Al-Khateeb spoke about the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in the tourism sector: "In Saudi Arabia, we are using AI, and we will continue to use AI, because we are very advanced when it comes to technology. At the same time, we are committed to preserving the human element in the sector. We want AI to empower people, support them, and help them in welcoming our guests and sharing our culture and hospitality". The minister's participation in the leading global forum aims to underline the global success story of Saudi Arabia's tourism sector, which in less than a decade has evolved into a dynamic, integrated ecosystem, offering a wide range of investment opportunities across destinations, hospitality, infrastructure, digital services, and human capital development. The participation also served as a platform to highlight what the Kingdom's tourism sector offers European partners: a fast-growing and stable market, positioned as a global gateway for collaboration in investment, artificial intelligence, and innovation. On the sidelines of FII PRIORITY Europe, Al-Khateeb held a series of bilateral meetings with international investors and industry leaders, focused on strengthening strategic partnerships and unlocking new opportunities for investment and tourism experience development in the Kingdom. Coinciding with the summit, the Ministry of Tourism released its annual statistical report 2025, showing how Saudi Arabia's tourism sector moved from ambition to scale, emerging as one of the Kingdom's strongest growth drivers in non-oil sectors. According to the report, Saudi Arabia recorded historic results in 2025 with around 123 million inbound and domestic tourists, representing growth of approximately 6% compared to 2024. This included 29.3 million inbound tourists and 93.3 million domestic tourists. Total tourism spending reached approximately SAR304 billion, reflecting growth of 7% compared to 2024, with inbound tourism contributing SAR176.6 billion and domestic tourism contributing SAR127.1 billion.
