A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between the Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) and Emirates to increase inbound tourism to Saudi Arabia and attract new segments of travelers. Through the agreement, Emirates will use its global network of over 120 cities to promote the Saudi Arabian experience and encourage leisure travelers to visit the Kingdom’s unique attractions.
The Memorandum of Understanding was signed in the presence of Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO and Board Member of the Saudi Tourism Authority, and Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Chief Commercial Officer. Adil Al Ghaith, Senior Vice President Commercial Operations, Gulf, Middle East and Central Asia, and Muhammad Bassrawi, VP of the Saudi Tourism Authority were the signatories of the MoU, at a ceremony in Riyadh. Also present at the signing were other senior executives from both organizations. The MoU underscores the importance of partnerships within the travel eco-system and the role different stakeholders play to support a more resilient recovery.
Through the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), Emirates will work with the Saudi Tourism Authority to explore opportunities to jointly collaborate on key initiatives to improve Saudi Arabia’s global tourism competitiveness, including marketing to key global source markets and supporting the travel trade to convert interest into bookings, sharing insights on market and customer trends, among others.
Moreover, the airline will work to align schedules from key source markets in the Emirates network to its gateways in Saudi Arabia as part of the strategic partnership, providing greater connectivity and convenience for its customers and further developing the inbound tourism market. In addition, Emirates and Saudi Tourism Authority will assess ways to enhance the visitor experience to Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Medina, the airline’s gateway cities.
“The memorandum of understanding signed between the Saudi Tourism Authority and Emirates Airline will enable us to reach over 120 destinations around the world and attract tourists from these destinations to various Saudi destinations,” said Hamidaddin.
“The Saudi Tourism Authority continues its efforts to attract tourists, promote tourism destinations in Saudi Arabia by targeting the most important major markets in the GCC, the region and the world, and forging important partnerships to achieve the goals of the Authority and the aspirations of the Saudi Tourism Ecosystem, which is in harmony with Vision 2030,” he added.
The partnership between STA and Emirates is part of the Authority’s efforts to build a framework of cooperation and integration with its partners in the private sector. This framework will support the wider travel trade in promoting tourist destinations in Saudi to travelers from all over the world and developing services that enable visitors to experience the country. Saudi’s diverse landscapes, rich cultural heritage and vibrant entertainment sector, all delivered with the unparalleled hospitality of the Saudi people, are a compelling offer for global travelers.
Emirates has been facilitating tourism and trade in the Kingdom since 1989, developing its operations to Riyadh, Jeddah, Medina, Dammam and today serves the four gateways with 53 weekly flights, including A380 services to Jeddah. The airline has also carried more than 25 million passengers to and from the Kingdom since the start of its services.