Kuwait SPA — The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, represented by Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb, participated in the 52nd UN Tourism Regional Commission for the Middle East, held in Kuwait from February 10 to 12. The Kingdom’s participation highlighted its leadership in shaping the next phase of the global tourism sector.
As president of the 26th UN Tourism General Assembly, Al-Khateeb delivered an opening address in which he underscored the importance of strengthening international cooperation and collective action to build an integrated, future-ready tourism ecosystem.
Speaking about artificial intelligence (AI) — the main theme of the meeting and its accompanying conference — the minister of tourism emphasized the need to utilize AI and innovation responsibly as key enablers of growth, while stressing the importance of protecting the workforce and maintaining the human touch that defines the tourism sector.
“We are witnessing a profound transformation in the role of global tourism,” Al-Khateeb said. “It is no longer viewed as a secondary industry or a peripheral economic activity, but rather as a powerful engine of global growth. With an estimated contribution exceeding $10 trillion to global GDP, tourism today accounts for approximately 10 percent of the world economy. The Middle East has played a key role in this growth, recording a 39% increase in international tourist arrivals in 2025 compared to 2019, and welcoming nearly 100 million visitors last year.”
Al-Khateeb highlighted the regional contribution of Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector. “Saudi Arabia today represents around 30% of the tourism market in the Middle East, both in number of visitors and spending. The Kingdom welcomed approximately 30 million inbound tourists, with spending exceeding SAR172 billion in 2025. We are proud that Saudi tourism’s uninterrupted growth has become a driving force for regional tourism, and we look forward to continuing our close cooperation with UN Tourism to share our expertise with the world,” he said.
He added that Saudi Arabia reaffirmed its commitment to advancing cooperation under UN Tourism and supporting the UN agency’s efforts to transform the Regional Office for the Middle East – based in Riyadh – into a hub that helps regional countries accelerate growth and promote sustainability across the industry.
On the sidelines of the regional commission, the minister met with counterparts from across the region to explore ways to promote regional cooperation and alignment to enhance resilience and build tourism industries that can drive inclusive economic and social development.
Al-Khateeb also met with leading investors from Kuwait to discuss investments in the Kingdom’s tourism sector and explore new opportunities to leverage Saudi Arabia’s integrated investment ecosystem, designed to enable regional and international investors to achieve sustainable, long-term value.
The 52nd UN Tourism Regional Commission for the Middle East is the first held in the region since the 26th UN Tourism General Assembly, hosted in Riyadh last November. By hosting the General Assembly, Saudi Arabia was the convener and driver of a global consensus leading to the adoption of the Riyadh Declaration on the Future of Tourism that sets key pillars to shape the next fifty years of global tourism, from sustainability, inclusive growth, and innovation to the responsible adoption of human-centric AI.
