Saudi Arabia to attract 100m visitors by 2030 in huge economic boost: Kingdom’s tourism advisor
Updated 31 October 2022
WAEL MAHDI DEEMA AL-KHUDAIR
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector is on course to contribute 10 percent of the Kingdom’s gross domestic product within a decade, according to Gloria Guevara, chief special advisor to the Minister of Tourism.
Speaking to Arab News on the sidelines of the Future Investment Initiative forum in Riyadh, Guevara said Saudi Arabia was making the most of its natural “assets”, such as the Red Sea, in a bid to boost the fledgling sector.
Guevara, who served as the Secretary of Tourism in Mexico from 2010 and 2012, said her home country took 40 years to develop its tourism industry — but Saudi Arabia can do it in a quarter of that time.
She said that more than 1 million jobs are going to be created in the sector by 2030, and added: “We are going to have 100 million visitors by then, and we're hoping to have 10 percent of the GDP, which is very important because one in $10 are going to be the contribution for travel and tourism.”
“Now the reality is, this country doesn't need tourism, because we have a lot of other resources, we have oil. But the fact that we are capitalizing on the assets that we have, as I said, the culture, the beautiful Red Sea, the mountains, the hospitality, I think that's also creating opportunities for the locals,” Guevara added.
After working in Mexico, Guevara was the CEO of the World Travel & Tourism Council — a body that represents more than 200 CEOs from around the world.
“When I was in WTTC, I had the chance to see the transformation. And what do I mean by that in 2020, Saudi was the chair of the G20, for instance, and for the first time ever, we were invited, the private sector was invited, to the table in the ministerial tourism meetings,” she said.
“So the Minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb was able to create that partnership with the private sector. So for us, that was crucial, and for me, is very important for a country to have the vision, the leadership and the resources in order to be successful,” she added.
Pointing to the Kingdom’s multiple Giga projects, she highlighted that the leadership of Saudi Arabia are not only helping the country, but helping other countries as well, most notably in sustainability.
“What is happening here is helping the entire sector, and that's why you see that some of these projects are having a greater scope. For instance, what we're doing in sustainability in this country is being shared with other countries. We're having an initiative here, a global center, that will help in sustainable tourism to move to work towards net zero,” the advisor said.
“That’s a multi-country, multi-stakeholder coalition that is starting here that will benefit not only Saudi Arabia, but everyone. So you will see that a lot of these projects will benefit the entire sector, not only the country, which is why it has a lot of attention from around the world, because the transformation is not only helping the country, but a lot of other countries,” she added.
How AI and financial literacy are redefining the Saudi workforce
Preparing people capable of navigating money and machines with confidence
Updated 26 December 2025
Waad Hussain
ALKHOBAR: Saudi Arabia’s workforce is entering a transformative phase where digital fluency meets financial empowerment.
As Vision 2030 drives economic diversification, experts emphasize that the Kingdom’s most valuable asset is not just technology—but people capable of navigating both money and machines with confidence.
For Shereen Tawfiq, co-founder and CEO of Balinca, financial literacy is far from a soft skill. It is a cornerstone of national growth. Her company trains individuals and organizations through gamified simulations that teach financial logic, risk assessment, and strategic decision-making—skills she calls “the true language of empowerment.”
An AI-driven interface showing advanced data insights, highlighting the increasing demand for leaders who can navigate both technology and strategy. (creativecommons.org)
“Our projection builds on the untapped potential of Saudi women as entrepreneurs and investors,” she said. “If even 10–15 percent of women-led SMEs evolve into growth ventures over the next five years, this could inject $50–$70 billion into GDP through new job creation, capital flows, and innovation.”
Tawfiq, one of the first Saudi women to work in banking and later an adviser to the Ministry of Economy and Planning on private sector development, helped design early frameworks for the Kingdom’s venture-capital ecosystem—a transformation she describes as “a national case study in ambition.”
“Back in 2015, I proposed a 15-year roadmap to build the PE and VC market,” she recalled. “The minister told me, ‘you’re not ambitious enough, make it happen in five.’” Within years, Saudi Arabia had a thriving investment ecosystem supporting startups and non-oil growth.
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At Balinca, Tawfiq replaces theory with immersion. Participants make business decisions in interactive simulations and immediately see their financial impact.
“Balinca teaches finance by hacking the brain, not just feeding information,” she said. “Our simulations create what we call a ‘business gut feeling’—an intuitive grasp of finance that traditional training or even AI platforms can’t replicate.”
While AI can personalize lessons, she believes behavioral learning still requires human experience.
Saudi women take part in a financial skills workshop, reflecting the growing role of financial literacy in shaping the Kingdom’s emerging leadership landscape. (AN File)
“AI can democratize access,” she said, “but judgment, ethics, and financial reasoning still depend on people. We train learners to use AI as a co-pilot, not a crutch.”
Her work aligns with a broader national agenda. The Financial Sector Development Program and Al Tamayyuz Academy are part of Vision 2030’s effort to elevate financial acumen across industries. “In Saudi Arabia, financial literacy is a national project,” she said. “When every sector thinks like a business, the nation gains stability.”
Jonathan Holmes, managing director for Korn Ferry Middle East, sees Saudi Arabia’s digital transformation producing a new generation of leaders—agile, data-literate, and unafraid of disruption.
“What we’re seeing in the Saudi market is that AI is tied directly to the nation’s economic growth story,” Holmes told Arab News. “Unlike in many Western markets where AI is viewed as a threat, here it’s seen as a catalyst for progress.”
Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 and the national AI strategy are producing “younger, more dynamic, and more tech-fluent” executives who lead with speed and adaptability. (SPA photo)
Holmes noted that Vision 2030 and the national AI strategy are producing “younger, more dynamic, and more tech-fluent” executives who lead with speed and adaptability. Korn Ferry’s CEO Tracker Report highlighted a notable rise in first-time CEO appointments in Saudi Arabia’s listed firms, signaling deliberate generational renewal.
Korn Ferry research identifies six traits for AI-ready leadership: sustaining vision, decisive action, scaling for impact, continuous learning, addressing fear, and pushing beyond early success.
“Leading in an AI-driven world is ultimately about leading people,” Holmes said. “The most effective leaders create clarity amid ambiguity and show that AI’s true power lies in partnership, not replacement.”
He believes Saudi Arabia’s young workforce is uniquely positioned to model that balance. “The organizations that succeed are those that anchor AI initiatives to business outcomes, invest in upskiling, and move quickly from pilots to enterprise-wide adoption,” he added.
DID YOU KNOW?
• Saudi women-led SMEs could add $50–$70 billion to GDP over five years if 10–15% evolve into growth ventures.
• AI in Saudi Arabia is seen as a catalyst for progress, unlike in many Western markets where it is often viewed as a threat.
• Saudi Arabia is adopting skills-based models, matching employees to projects rather than fixed roles, making flexibility the new currency of success.
The convergence of Tawfiq’s financial empowerment approach and Holmes’s AI leadership vision points to one central truth: the Kingdom’s greatest strategic advantage lies in human capital that can think analytically and act ethically.
“Financial literacy builds confidence and credibility,” Tawfiq said. “It transforms participants from operators into leaders.” Holmes echoes this sentiment: “Technical skills matter, but the ability to learn, unlearn, and scale impact is what defines true readiness.”
Saudi women in the transportation sector represent the expanding presence of female talent across high-impact industries under Vision 2030. (AN File)
As organizations adopt skills-based models that match employees to projects rather than fixed job titles, flexibility is becoming the new currency of success. Saudi Arabia’s workforce revolution is as much cultural as it is technological, proving that progress moves fastest when inclusion and innovation advance together.
Holmes sees this as the Kingdom’s defining opportunity. “Saudi Arabia can lead global workforce transformation by showing how technology and people thrive together,” he said.
Tawfiq applies the same principle to finance. “Financial confidence grows from dialogue,” she said. “The more women talk about money, valuations, and investment, the more they’ll see themselves as decision-makers shaping the economy.”
Together, their visions outline a future where leaders are inclusive, data-literate, and AI-confident—a model that may soon define the global standard for workforce transformation under Vision 2030.
