LONDON: The Saudi Tourism Authority on Monday made its debut at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, where it is promoting the Kingdom’s burgeoning creative sector as a key driver of tourism.

Fahd Hamidaddin, the organization’s CEO, said authorities in the country are committed to placing creativity and innovation at the forefront of their plans for diversification of the national economy. He also emphasized the role the industry can play in shaping global perceptions of Saudi Arabia and promoting recent dramatic changes in the Kingdom.

“Storytelling is something that Arabia has always cherished and creativity is the beacon of our future; it’s the beauty of imagination meeting innovation,” Hamidaddin said during his keynote speech on the opening day of the five-day event in France.

“We are experiencing a transformation which takes Saudi (Arabia) from being oil-dependent to becoming a fully diversified, hyper-growth economy that sits at the center of the world, economically, socially and creatively as well.”

He highlighted various cultural developments and advances that have taken place in the Kingdom over the past few years as testaments to the country’s growing ambitions on the world stage, including art exhibitions and a burgeoning entertainment scene, with the country submitting entries to the Oscars and the Cannes Film Festival.

Hamidaddin noted the growing number of creators, home-grown and from other countries, who are contributing to the development of the sector in the Kingdom and extended an open invitation for more collaborators to explore opportunities to work with Saudi authorities and create award-winning work worthy of recognition by the Cannes Lions festival.

“If you think you know Saudi, think again,” he said. “Even Saudis don’t recognize it amid the changes and transformations happening every day.”

The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity began on June 17 and continues until June 21.