RIYADH: The Korea-Saudi Friendship Society (KSFS) outlined recently its activities to contribute to the mutual exchanges between the Kingdom and the Asian country.
Dr. Abdullah Lee, chairman of the society, told Arab News from Seoul that KSFS has held seminars involving the Kingdom and supported the application process for visa.
“We feel responsible to further encourage active exchanges between the two countries and KSFS is proud to participate in such initiatives,” he said.
He said that KSFS was established in 2004 with the support of many Saudis and is registered with the Korea Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Lee added that the KSFS also initiated the publication of the “Korea-Saudi Newsletter” with the approval of the Saudi government starting 2010 when the G20 Seoul Summit was held.
He said “this bi-monthly newsletter is being distributed through on-line website and e-mailed to more than 4,000 subscribers and as of now it has printed its 36th edition.”
He added that through the media, KSFS was able to disseminate information and insights regarding business prospects in Korea.
Lee said that through its homepage (www.koreasaudi.com), KSFS also offers a variety of background knowledge on government policies, visa application, and business practices.
He added that more than 1,000 visitors visit KSFS homepage per day and more than 2.7 million viewers visited the site since 2007.
Lee said that in 2014, KSFS successfully celebrated the 10th anniversary of its establishment at a local hotel in Seoul with support from the Saudi Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the first Korea-Saudi Business Forum was also held.
He said that Saudi ministers, high-level officials and more than 200 entrepreneurs participated in the forum and had meetings with various Korean companies.
Lee, who worked in the Kingdom as diplomat for many years, also expressed his hope that the next forum will be held in the Saudi capital.
KSFS cites role in Saudi-Korean mutual exchanges
KSFS cites role in Saudi-Korean mutual exchanges
Saudi Arabia champions AI and sustainable growth at UN tourism meeting in Kuwait
- Saudi Tourism Minister says tourism today accounts for approximately 10 percent of the world economy, contributing about $10 trillion to global GDP
KUWAIT CITY: Saudi Arabia’s Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb has called for stronger international cooperation to build a tourism ecosystem that is integrated, resilient, and future-ready, the Saudi Press Agency reported Thursday.
In a opening address at the 52nd UN Tourism Regional Commission for the Middle East in Kuwait City, he noted that tourism is “no longer a peripheral activity but a massive engine of economic development.”
“With an estimated contribution exceeding $10 trillion to global GDP, tourism today accounts for approximately 10 percent of the world economy,” said Al-Khateeb, speaking as president of the 26th UN Tourism General Assembly. The three-day conference opened on Feb. 10.
He pointed to the Middle East’s exceptional recovery, which recorded a 39 percent increase in international arrivals in 2025 compared to 2019, welcoming nearly 100 million visitors last year.
The minister highlighted Saudi Arabia’s driving force behind these regional statistics, noting that the Kingdom now represents approximately 30% of the Middle East tourism market in both visitor numbers and spending.
“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.
Focus on AI
Addressing the meeting’s central theme of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Al-Khateeb emphasized the need for responsible innovation. He described AI as a key enabler for growth but stressed that the “human touch” defining the hospitality sector must be maintained and the workforce protected.
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.
That assembly resulted in the historic “Riyadh Declaration on the Future of Tourism,” which established a global consensus on sustainability, inclusive growth, and the responsible adoption of human-centric AI for the next fifty years.
