Saudi Arabia at centre of regional tourism push as UNWTO opens Riyadh office

The new office, opened by UNWTO secretary general Zurab Pololikashvili and the Saudi Minister for Tourism Ahmed Al Khateeb, will serve as a hub for UNWTO to coordinate policy and initiatives across 13 countries in the Middle East.

According to a statement, it will act as a “pivotal forum for engagement to drive tourism initiatives in the region and build long-term growth for the sector”.

The office will lead UNWTO’s work across the region, promoting tourism products, sustainable development and the collection of tourism data and analysis.

Responding to a need for locally relevant initiatives to drive effective change, the office will champion investment in tourism assets and capabilities, and spearhead regional collaboration in data-sharing and health policy, the statement added.

Al Khateeb (pictured above) in a keynote address pledged continued support to the UNWTO and the development of global tourism.

“As the first UNWTO office of its kind, the Riyadh office will serve as a beacon for regional collaboration. We are thrilled to host the office in Saudi Arabia,” he said.

“The launch of UNWTO’s first ever regional office is a landmark event and signals a new direction for the coordination of global tourism, with regional collaboration at the heart of the approach,” added Pololikashvili.

“This new initiative recognises that alignment on the regional level is key to unlocking the Middle East’s vast tourism potential and creating social, economic and environmental resiliency for the sector and its people. We expect that this will be recognised as a model for future efforts to make the benefits of tourism available to all.”

A key initiative within the new office will be the development of an international tourism academy dedicated to supporting the ambitions of a new generation of tourism leaders.

Al Khateeb said: “In partnership with UNWTO, we will create the world’s greatest multi-cultural and immersive learning environment, a leading global centre of excellence that redefines tourism and hospitality education. The international tourism academy in Riyadh will be a place where faculty and students can discover, create and share knowledge to achieve long-lasting impact on the global tourism and hospitality industry.”