Ever wondered which city is set to become the next global tourism powerhouse? Riyadh is making monumental strides, hosting the TOURISE Summit and UN Tourism Assembly in 2025! With a bold vision to welcome 150 million visitors by 2030, Saudi Arabia is reshaping the travel landscape. Will this transform global tourism as we know it?
Saudi Arabia is aggressively pursuing its ambition to establish Riyadh as a paramount global tourism hub, strategically orchestrating a series of high-profile international engagements. These initiatives are designed to not only attract a staggering 150 million visitors by 2030 but also to position the Kingdom as a central architect of future worldwide tourism policy and innovation. This bold vision is being propelled forward through significant diplomatic efforts and the hosting of pivotal global events, firmly cementing Riyadh’s emerging influence on the international stage.
Central to this strategic thrust are two landmark events scheduled for November 2025 in Riyadh: the inaugural TOURISE platform and the 26th UN Tourism General Assembly. These high-impact gatherings are engineered to foster extensive international dialogue, stimulate substantial tourism investment, and cultivate forward-thinking sustainability strategies. The selection of Riyadh as the host city underscores Saudi Arabia’s commitment to becoming a pre-eminent global tourism actor and a laboratory for cooperative innovation.
Adding momentum to these domestic preparations, a highly productive diplomatic mission to Japan recently fortified bilateral relations and showcased the Kingdom’s rapidly expanding tourism program. Discussions with senior Japanese officials highlighted a shared interest in mutual tourism cooperation, infrastructure development, and cross-sector collaboration. Japan has also received a formal invitation to participate in the upcoming Riyadh events, signalling deepening ties and potential partnerships in shaping next-generation travel experiences.
Concurrently, Saudi Arabia has achieved unprecedented visibility at Expo 2025 Osaka, where its pavilion, themed around culture, sustainability, and innovation, has drawn over two million visitors. This remarkable milestone places the Saudi exhibit among the most frequented national displays, effectively demonstrating the Kingdom’s diverse and evolving tourism landscape. Interactive exhibits at the pavilion showcase mega-projects like NEOM, The Red Sea, and Diriyah, captivating a global audience with Saudi Arabia’s future-focused vision.
The Kingdom’s comprehensive tourism transformation is inextricably linked to its Vision 2030 objectives, aiming to diversify the national economy through an investment pipeline exceeding $800 billion. Iconic projects such as NEOM, a cutting-edge urban area powered by renewable energy, and The Red Sea Project, a luxury coastal destination adhering to stringent sustainability standards, are at the forefront. Additionally, Diriyah is being developed as a significant heritage tourism magnet, celebrating the birthplace of the Saudi state.
A core tenet of Saudi Arabia’s tourism push is its unwavering commitment to sustainability, innovation, and community development, aligning closely with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The integration of cultural heritage preservation with smart technologies, green infrastructure, and regenerative tourism models ensures the sector’s long-term resilience. This blend of tradition and modernity defines Saudi Arabia’s approach, promising authentic experiences while embracing global best practices.
The forthcoming 26th UN Tourism General Assembly and the TOURISE Summit are poised to be defining moments for global tourism recovery, resilience, and transformation. These events will convene global tourism leaders, policymakers, and innovators to discuss the evolving landscape of travel, digital transformation, and cross-border cooperation. By hosting these fora, Saudi Arabia aims to present itself not merely as a destination but as a crucial global influencer in shaping the new tourism economy.
As November 2025 approaches, Riyadh stands as an increasingly visible nexus for global tourism governance. The Kingdom’s strategic cultivation of regional alliances and its orchestration of high-level international gatherings are designed to recalibrate its domestic tourism architecture and catalyse transformative developments across the broader Middle Eastern and international travel markets. This proactive approach underscores Riyadh’s ambition to transition aspirations of innovation, sustainability, and equitable economic uplift into actionable reality.
