Saudi Arabia is using smart tourism to achieve its goals of economic diversification, innovation, and sustained global relevance.
Saudi Arabia is increasingly integrating artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR), and virtual reality (VR) specifically to enhance various aspects of the traveller’s journey.
Major projects, such as NEOM and the Red Sea Project, utilize these technologies. They aim to position the Kingdom as a top tourism destination.
Part of Vision 2030 was to diversify the Kingdom’s revenue sources away from oil. The National Tourism Strategy aims to attract 150 million annual visitors by 2030 and increase the country’s gross domestic product from 3% to 10%.
Saudi Arabia is utilizing AI to develop customized trip planning, a biometric system to streamline the travel and immigration process, Internet of Things (IoT) technologies in accommodations, and AR and VR to provide immersive storytelling at cultural and entertainment venues. This will create more immersive and sustainable experiences for the visitors.
Julio De Salvo, Chief Solution Officer for the Middle East and North Africa and the Asia Pacific region at Globant, mentioned that the Kingdom has made significant investments, such as AI-enhanced airports and digital visa platforms.
Salvo remarked that Saudi Arabia is utilizing smart tourism to achieve its goals of economic diversification, innovation, and sustained global relevance. He mentioned that there is a shift from digital tourism to cognitive tourism, where technologies are tailored to provide an exceptional experience for visitors by understanding, anticipating, and adapting to their behavior in real-time.
A recent study conducted by the global consumer insights company Toluna reaffirmed this trend, showing how travelers from Saudi Arabia are using smart technologies, with 87% using tools like ChatGPT and Gemini for vacation planning and management, 46% of them rely on AI assistants to explore activities, while 31% use these tools for their itineraries.
Kingdom’s flagship tourism projects, such as NEOM, the Red Sea Project, Diriyah, Qiddiya, and New Murabba, are utilizing smart technologies to enhance the tourist experience in the kingdom.
For example, NEOM uses AI-driven customization and immersive digital engagement. The Red Sea Project uses IoT sensors to track environmental metrics, utilities, and operational systems across its resorts and natural attractions. Diriyah, renowned for its rich heritage, is utilizing digital heritage documentation and technology to share its cultural stories and educate visitors. These systems can read visitors’ feedback and requests, allowing them to make the visitors feel welcome and encourage them to return.
The Kingdom is planning autonomous electric cars, smart utility management, and a unified digital platform that allows guests to access hotels, transportation, and activity bookings.
It seems that there are numerous advantages, but technology is always a double-edged sword. Experts have pointed out that Saudi Arabia faces when integrating advanced technology into their tourism.
Many advanced technologies, such as AI, AR, VR, and IoT, are being used outside the Kingdom. As Saudi Arabia utilizes tourism as part of its offerings, it needs to collaborate with international partners, alongside efforts to gradually build local capabilities.
This also includes establishing clear guidelines regarding data management, cybersecurity, and system standards to ensure consistent implementation and alignment with national goals in the long run. Additionally, as technology continues to grow, there is a need for personnel to keep pace with it. This demands upskilling and global partnerships to bridge expertise gaps.
Still, many technology infrastructures, such as nationwide 5G networks, intelligent airports, and cloud systems, are still works in progress, hindering personalized AI and immersive experiences in projects like The Red Sea and NEOM.
Despite these problems, there is hope for well-integrated smart tourism to be incorporated into Saudi Arabia’s tourism strategy, provided that the right coordination and policy framework are in place.
The pieces are slowly falling into place, and a bright future lies ahead where smart tourism overcomes the challenges mentioned above, and Saudi Arabia will emerge as a leader in innovative and regenerative travel.