RIYADH: US President Donald Trump’s eldest daughter Ivanka said Sunday that she was inspired by the women of Saudi Arabia.
“The stories of Saudi women, such as yourselves, catalyzing change, inspire me to believe in the possibility of global women’s empowerment,” Ivanka told a group of accomplished Saudi women led by Princess Reema bint Bandar, deputy president of Saudi Arabia’s Women’s Sports Authority.
“Today I met with Saudi Arabian women leaders and learned directly of their accomplishments, challenges and vision for the future,” she tweeted about the meeting, held during a visit to Saudi Arabia with her father and US delegation.
She said Saudi Arabia has made “encouraging” progress in empowering women.
“Saudi Arabia’s progress, especially in recent years, is very encouraging. But there’s still a lot of work to be done and freedoms and opportunities to continue to fight for,” said Ivanka, who serves as an adviser to her father.
“Around the world women continue to achieve unprecedented levels of rights and freedoms,” she added.
Saudi Arabia has pledged a program of social and economic reforms as part of the ambitious Vision 2030 strategy launched last year.
A royal decree earlier this month stipulated women are not to be required to obtain consent from a male guardian to carry out certain activities and receive certain services unless there is a legal base for it; it ordered a review of all government departments’ procedures and practices where a male-guardian is required.
In February, a Saudi woman was appointed to head the Saudi stock exchange, known as the Tadawul.
Another Saudi woman was appointed as head of the major bank Samba.
In recent years, Saudi women became part of the Shoura Council, with 20 percent of seats, as well as on municipal councils all over the country.
Ivanka Trump in Saudi Arabia: Global women’s empowerment possible
Ivanka Trump in Saudi Arabia: Global women’s empowerment possible
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.
