Visit Saudi partners with Spanish LaLiga as global sponsor  

The collaboration will boost Visit Saudi’s efforts to highlight the Kingdom’s rich cultural heritage (Visit Saudi)
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Updated 18 August 2023
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Visit Saudi partners with Spanish LaLiga as global sponsor  

  • The partnership aims to promote Saudi Arabia as the most exciting year-round destination, where football passion merges with fostering ties among diverse cultures and bringing communities together

RIYADH: The Saudi tourism ministry’s promotional brand, Visit Saudi, has partnered with Spanish football league LaLiga to showcase the Kingdom’s attractiveness as the world’s fastest-growing destination.  

The partnership aims to promote Saudi Arabia as the most exciting year-round destination, where football passion merges with fostering ties among diverse cultures and bringing communities together, according to the Saudi Press Agency.  

Additionally, the collaboration will boost Visit Saudi’s efforts to highlight the Kingdom’s rich cultural heritage, diverse landscapes, and role as a major hub for unprecedented sporting and cultural interactions in today’s football landscape.

“Football and travel bridge cultures and unite people,” said Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO of Saudi Tourism Authority.  

“Saudi Arabia has millions of incredibly passionate football fans and as we continue to create a dynamic year-round destination, full of cultural events, we look forward to welcoming international travellers to experience the largest sporting and cultural exchange in sporting history, helping us in bringing the world to Saudi and bringing Saudi to the world,” Hamidaddin continued. 

According to SPA, this will exemplify the long-standing relationship between LaLiga and Saudi Arabia, as Saudi football players have represented leagues in Spain and vice versa. 

“Saudi Arabia has embraced the sport, elevating football to its pinnacle as the most played and followed activity across the nation, and the level of participation in the under 30s continues to increase,” Iker Casillas, ambassador of LaLiga said. 

The alliance will expand the limits of brand activation through a wide range of events, including a high-profile debut event, followed by many more activities that will be held in the Kingdom, the announcement added.

“Signing this agreement demonstrates our strong commitment to advancing sports and football science in the Arab world, as well as expanding our presence, and that of our clubs, in a relevant global sports hub,” Oscar May, executive director of LaLiga said.  

Through this strategic partnership, LaLiga and Visit Saudi will jointly highlight Saudi Arabia's travel trends, attracting a wide range of local, regional, and global travelers.  

The project will be produced through innovative collaborations, sponsorship agreements, partnerships, digital content, and immersive consumer events that are intended to increase audience engagement, SPA reported. 


Free trade negotiations between GCC, India mark new phase of partnership, says sec-gen

Updated 24 February 2026
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Free trade negotiations between GCC, India mark new phase of partnership, says sec-gen

RIYADH: The Gulf Cooperation Council’s secretary-general affirmed that the negotiations for a free trade agreement between the GCC and India, and the signing of the joint statement, represents a new phase of strategic partnership.

Jasem Mohamed Al-Budaiwi said that this contributes to enhancing close cooperation and strengthening economic and trade ties, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

This came during the signing ceremony of the joint statement on launching the free trade agreement negotiations between the Al-Budaiwi and India’s Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, which took place in New Delhi, on Tuesday.

During the signing ceremony, Al-Budaiwi said that the Terms of Reference, signed on Feb. 5, provide a comprehensive and clear framework for these negotiations. The two nations agreed to discuss enhancing cooperation in vital strategic areas, including trade in goods, customs procedures, and services.

Additionally, the framework covers Sanitary and Phytosanitary measures, intellectual property rights, cooperation on Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises, along with other topics of mutual interest. This reflects the comprehensive nature of the agreement and its ability to keep pace with the future economy.

Al-Budaiwi expressed hope that these negotiations would lead to a comprehensive and ambitious free trade agreement that works to remove customs and non-customs barriers, enhance the flow of quality investments in both directions, and achieve further liberalization in trade and investment cooperation between the GCC and India for mutual benefit. 

This would provide a stimulating economic environment and an investment climate that opens broad horizons for the business sector, supports supply chains, and accelerates the pace of economic growth in line with the ambitious developmental visions of the GCC states. 

The top official affirmed the full readiness of the General Secretariat to host the first round of negotiations at its headquarters in Riyadh during the second half of this year.

The two sides held a meeting during which they reviewed the existing cooperation relations between the GCC and India and discussed ways to develop and elevate them to broader horizons, serving mutual interests and enhancing opportunities for strategic partnership between the two sides, particularly in the economic, investment, and trade fields.

They praised the role undertaken by the negotiating teams from both sides, appreciating the efforts contributing to reaching a comprehensive agreement that enhances economic integration and supports the smooth flow of trade between the two nations.