Saudi Arabia pushes summer... | Connecting Travel

Unspoilt beaches, global events and cooler mountains make kingdom “the land of now”

The Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) is raising awareness of the kingdom as a summer destination, building on booming tourism numbers that make it “the land of now”.

That’s according to Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO of STA, leading the Saudi delegation at Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in Dubai, who underscores the kingdom’s status as a year-round destination, with a focus on markets in Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific.

Saudi is promoting its beaches on the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf, plus a programme of international events, including the Esports World Cup being held this summer, an annual eight-week competition featuring elite esports athletes that launched in 2024.

STA says that while much of the GCC has high temperatures over the summer months, mountain regions including Aseer, Taif and Al Baha in Saudi provide a welcome respite from the heat as well as offering nature activities and outdoor experiences.

Famed for its fragrant roses and perfume factories, key attractions in Taif (pictured above) include Al Hada Mountain, with its long cable car ride and trails, plus the Al Kar Tourist Village featuring a water park, and the Camel Festival in August.

Crown Prince Camel Festival in Taif

AlUla, the luxury heritage destination in north-western Saudi, also has a more temperate climate, with temperatures up to 10C lower than cities. AlUla has announced its 'Summer Untold' programme with special rates on stays and experiences as it looks to tap the bleisure market as well as remote workers.

Visitors to the AlUla region can stay in the Unesco World Heritage Site city of Hegra which is building its hotel offering, including the 35-key Chedi Hegra which opened in December 2024.

Saudi budget airline Flynas is improving connectivity to domestic destinations, increasing seat capacity by more than 480,000 during the summer months.

Hamidaddin said ATM was an opportunity to build knowledge around “the diverse destinations that have made Saudi the fastest-growing tourism destination in the world”.

“Having welcomed 116 million visitors in 2024, an increase of 6.4% compared with 2023, Saudi is the 'land of now'."

This year’s Saudi Land exhibit at ATM, which continues until 1 May, showcases destinations including Jeddah, AlUla, Aseer, Riyadh and the Red Sea, as well as a preview of the FIFA World Cup 2034.

The World Cup will take place across five Saudi cities, including Riyadh, Jeddah, Khobar, Abhan and Neom, with matches held in 15 stadiums, 10 of which will be newly constructed in the five cities, while five others will be developed in Riyadh and Jeddah.

Saudi aims to become a leading global tourism destination with 150 million visitors by 2030.

For more information, visit www.sta.gov.sa/en/home

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