From seamless travel to tailored experiences, AI is transforming Saudi Arabia’s tourism industry

During the recently concluded GAIN Summit in Riyadh, experts said the Kingdom's plan to attract 150 million tourists a year by 2030 is doable, with the help of AI. (AN photo by Abdulrahman Bin Shalhoub)
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Updated 01 October 2024
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From seamless travel to tailored experiences, AI is transforming Saudi Arabia’s tourism industry

  • The Kingdom has raised it ambition to attract 150 million tourists per year by 2030, with AI at the heart of its tourism strategy
  • From personalized excursions to interactive augmented reality tours, experts say AI is revolutionizing the sector

RIYADH: As the tourism industry prospers in Saudi Arabia, local travel agents are turning to artificial intelligence to help their clients plan dream vacations, offer seamless journeys, and create highly personalized visitor experiences.

As part of its Vision 2030 economic reform agenda, Saudi Arabia has raised its ambition to attract 150 million tourists a year by the end of the decade. Thanks to an array of AI solutions, this new target could be well within grasp.




An artistic impression of the resort planned by the Saudi giga-project NEOM and hospitality firm Equinox Hotels on the coast of the Gulf of Aqaba will feature 15 hotels and over 2,500 residences in 12 locations. (NEOM image)

NEOM, Saudi Arabia’s $500 billion mega-city taking shape on the Kingdom’s northwest coast, will feature a range of innovative tourism experiences, using AI for personalized services, transport and hospitality.

Meanwhile, at the UNESCO World Heritage sites of AlUla and Diriyah, AI-powered augmented reality technology will offer visitors a program of interactive tours through the Kingdom’s historical sites.




Diriyah, the birthplace of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, offers visitors a program of interactive tours. (DGDA photo)

“The Kingdom is making significant progress in building its local AI talent through ambitious initiatives, collaborating with global AI players, such as Artefact, to upskill its young talent on AI,” Rahul Arya, CEO of tech consultancy Artefact MENA, told Arab News.

“The Saudi Authority for Data and Artificial Intelligence’s major initiatives and events, such as the GAIN Summit, are also putting the Kingdom on the global AI map and positioning it as an AI pioneer in the region.”

The latest edition of the Global AI Summit, also known as GAIN, took place in Riyadh between Sept. 10 and 12, offering a platform for experts, academics, corporates and policymakers to advance the discussion on AI.




During the 3-day GAIN Summit in Riyadh, AI’s transformative potential for the tourism sector was among the main topics discussed by experts, academics, corporates and policymakers. (AN photo by Abdulrahman Bin Shalhoub)

Oussama Ahmad, Artefact’s global lead on travel and tourism, attended the summit, held at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center.

“As an AI practitioner, I am both invigorated and captivated by Saudi Arabia’s pioneering role in AI, as evidenced by its global leadership in government AI strategy,” he told Arab News.

“It’s imperative for me to be at GAIN to witness the latest AI advancements and success stories in the Kingdom and to exchange insights with thought leaders and experts in the domain.”

During the event, Ahmad moderated a panel discussion on AI’s transformative potential for the tourism sector. 

“This session was part of a ‘first-of-a-kind’ event on AI for Tourism — a collaboration between the Ministry of Tourism, Saudi Tourism Authority, SDAIA and Artefact,” he said.

“Additionally, I had the pleasure to sign a memorandum of understanding between Artefact and STA to drive the development of AI solutions to promote Saudi Arabia as a leading tourism destination and to elevate its visitors’ experience.”

Ahmad said that AI solutions can enhance the marketing of the Kingdom as a tourist destination by addressing specific perception barriers with targeted messages delivered through the right channels.

“Solutions created by artificial intelligence include monitoring visitors’ experiences, addressing pain points and capitalizing on moments of delight, as an outstanding visitor experience is crucial for encouraging repeat visits and referrals,” he said.

“Additionally, AI can help identify new global events and attractions to be hosted by the Kingdom, plan for participant capacity at these events, and measure their return on investment.”

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Ahmad highlighted that the Saudi Tourism Authority has developed AI-powered recommendation systems, predictive analytics for visitors and their spending in order to elevate visitor experience and optimize capacity planning.

“Riyadh Air has established its data and AI infrastructure on-cloud to develop AI applications aimed at differentiating its guest experience and enhancing its commercial and operational performance,” he said.

Ahmad highlighted the effectiveness and accuracy of many AI applications, especially those based on generative AI, which rely on a detailed understanding of language and its dialectical nuances.

“This deep understanding can make all the difference in the model’s analysis of text or speech input, extraction of insights, and the accuracy of the model’s responses to user queries,” he said, underscoring the need for such models to be trained in Arabic dialects.

“AI models, and more specifically large language models, should be trained on the native language (both text and speech) and fine-tuned with the various dialects present in the Kingdom and its priority source markets of visitors.

“Moreover, Saudi Arabia has specific cultural aspects related to social values, customs, education, and communication … Developing AI solutions and innovations in the Kingdom comes with challenges, but the Kingdom is working to bridge the gap.”




Abdullah bin Sharaf Al-Ghamdi, president of the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority, unveiling the “State of AI in Saudi Arabia” report outlining the Kingdom’s advancements from 2019 to 2023. (SPA)

For Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector and other emerging industries to reap the benefits AI has to offer, Ahmad said the Kingdom should focus on data collection, the entry of cloud providers, and on supporting local tech talent.

“First, AI applications require a vast amount of clean historical data, typically in the range of hundreds of thousands to millions of data rows,” he said.

“However, the emerging Saudi tourism sector currently faces limitations in data availability and quality. To address this, organizations in Saudi Arabia should focus on extensive data collection through first-party data strategies and partnerships for second and third-party data exchange.

“In the meantime, AI models can be developed as proof of concepts and later fine-tuned as data sources are enriched.”

“Second, many organizations in the Kingdom have legacy technology infrastructure that cannot support the deployment and productionalization of large-scale AI applications.

“However, the entry of cloud providers into the Kingdom through local data centers has begun to alleviate this challenge, particularly as cloud service providers make their most advanced AI services available in these data centers.




Cloud providers are part of a set of requirements needed for the tourism sector to reap the benefits AI has to offer. (AN photo by Abdulrahman Bin Shalhoub)

“The third challenge is the undersupply of AI talent in the Saudi market, which has led to limited AI innovation locally. To address this, local organizations are tapping into global AI talent pools.”

High-quality data and robust governance are key pillars for developing effective AI models that generate accurate results. That is why the Saudi Authority for Data and Artificial Intelligence has created the National Data Management Office and the National Data Index.

“To address this, SDAIA has devised the NDMO and NDI frameworks, which regulate and standardize data governance and management across the Kingdom, thus accelerating AI development and leading to value creation from data insights,” Ahmad said.

“Additionally, the Kingdom has set clear standards for residency of AI applications based on the classification of data sets required for those applications. This has fueled a healthy competition among cloud providers to build compliant data centers in the Kingdom, offering a comprehensive range of their AI applications and services.”




Rahul Arya (left), CEO of tech consultancy Artefact MENA, and Oussama Ahmad, Artefact’s global lead on travel and tourism. (Supplied)

Most recently, the Kingdom pioneered AI regulations by defining a set of “AI Ethics Principles” in collaboration with the EU and in line with its AI Act.

“This framework ensures that AI development is ethical, transparent, and compliant with personal data protection standards,” Ahmad said.

If the Kingdom is able to overcome challenges such as data availability, technological infrastructure, and talent scarcity, Ahmad believes Saudi Arabia will make significant strides in AI development and adoption.

“The successful implementation of AI solutions, tailored to local languages, cultural nuances, and compliant with regulatory frameworks, is crucial for unlocking the full potential of AI in driving the tourism sector.”
 

 


Global leaders draft ambitious climate finance deal ahead of COP29

As the countdown to COP29 continues, the Azerbaijani presidency is pushing for a balanced outcome.
Updated 6 sec ago
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Global leaders draft ambitious climate finance deal ahead of COP29

RIYADH: Global leaders are drafting an ambitious climate finance deal to be finalized at the 29th Conference of the Parties, or COP29, as Azerbaijan’s presidency leads efforts to resolve critical gaps ahead of the November summit.

A draft negotiating text will be published “imminently,” following a series of high-level meetings in Baku last week, according to the COP29 presidency team.

It outlines a plan that could mobilize trillions of dollars in support for developing nations.

Central to the talks was the New Collective Quantified Goal, or NCQG, on climate finance, which aims to replace the existing $100 billion pledge that has long been deemed insufficient.

Azerbaijan’s Lead Negotiator Yalchin Rafiyev acknowledged the magnitude of the challenge, stating in a release that the funding needed to address climate change was “in the space of trillions” of dollars.

However, negotiations are steering towards a more realistic expectation of public sector contributions, which are likely to reach “hundreds of billions” annually.

The NCQG is critical in ensuring developing nations, particularly small island developing states and the least developed countries, receive the support they need to build resilience and reduce emissions.

President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, addressing participants at the pre-COP conference, urged global leaders to move beyond blame and focus on collective action.

“As we are entering into the final stage of preparations for COP29, I call on you to engage constructively and in good faith for the sake of humanity,” Aliyev said.

“While states have common but differentiated responsibilities, they should put aside disagreements, stop blaming each other, and find common ground.

“We cannot afford to waste time on defining who is guilty for global warming, or who caused more environmental harm.”

These remarks reflect the urgency felt ahead of COP29, especially in light of the Paris Agreement’s goal to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

COP events have served as critical platforms for advancing this agenda since 2015, but the most recent Global Stocktake at COP28 revealed that the world is not on track to meet its targets.

Azerbaijan’s COP29 President-Designate, Mukhtar Babayev, highlighted the importance of addressing unresolved issues before November.

“We have done well to narrow down options, and the possible shapes of landing zones are coming into view. But we can clearly see the divides that the parties still need to bridge,” Babayev said.

He said that ministers must return to their capitals to secure the political mandates needed to push the negotiations forward.

“There is no excuse for anyone to arrive at COP29 without clear political support to make progress, as we urgently work to turn this draft into a deal,” he said.

The talks in Baku also explored the qualitative aspects of the NCQG, such as transparency, accessibility and accountability.

These elements are seen as vital to building trust among nations and ensuring the effective use of funds.

The pre-COP conference marked a crucial step in preparing a draft negotiating text for the new finance goal, which is expected to be published in the coming days.

This draft will set the stage for final negotiations at COP29, where a comprehensive climate finance package is anticipated.

In addition to finance, the discussions addressed broader initiatives such as climate transparency and energy resilience.

A new report, co-authored with the International Renewable Energy Agency, or IRENA, and other partners, was launched during the conference.

It tracks progress on energy goals set at COP28, particularly in relation to energy storage, with the COP29 Global Energy Storage and Grids Pledge aiming to boost installed capacity to 1,500 GW by 2030 — six times the level recorded in 2022.

As the countdown to COP29 continues, the Azerbaijani presidency is pushing for a balanced outcome that not only delivers on finance but also reinforces the commitments made under the Paris Agreement.


Riyadh mayor, South Korean officials discuss infrastructure, urban planning

Updated 14 October 2024
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Riyadh mayor, South Korean officials discuss infrastructure, urban planning

  • Visit has aimed to strengthen ties between Riyadh and South Korean cities

RIYADH: Riyadh Mayor Prince Faisal bin Abdulaziz bin Ayyaf concluded his visit to South Korea to establish international partnerships, gain insights into urban development, and enhance quality of life through technology.

The visit included meetings to strengthen ties between Riyadh and South Korean cities, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.

A memorandum of understanding was signed with the Seoul Metropolitan Government to enhance cooperation in smart city management, sustainable urban planning, and infrastructure development.

This agreement follows a Saudi Cabinet decision authorizing Prince Faisal to negotiate a draft MoU with the Seoul Metropolitan Government regarding urban management and operations.

The visit began with a meeting between Prince Faisal and South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, followed by discussions with Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Sangwoo Park on infrastructure development, urban planning, and expertise exchange.

Prince Faisal also met with Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon to sign the MoU and with Gyeonggi Province Gov. Kim Dong-yeon to discuss sustainable urban development and municipal services.

At the global Mayors Forum during Smart Life Week in Seoul, the mayor highlighted Riyadh’s future initiatives. He attended the opening ceremony and visited an exhibition showcasing digital transformation and intelligent cities.

Prince Faisal toured the Seoul Transport Operation and Information Service to learn about intelligent transportation systems. He also met with leading Korean companies, including Naver and Samsung, and visited the Samsung museum.

During his visit, the mayor met with Saudi students in South Korea, encouraging them to excel academically to support Saudi Vision 2030.


Riyadh forum concludes with more than 290 schools honored

Updated 14 October 2024
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Riyadh forum concludes with more than 290 schools honored

  • Misk Schools first to receive accreditation at National Forum for School Excellence

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Education and Training Evaluation Commission, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, concluded the National Forum for School Excellence, also known as Excellence 2024, in Riyadh on Monday.

The forum, which celebrated over 290 schools for their achievements, highlighted Misk Schools as the first to receive accreditation under new national evaluation standards.

The event, which was held under the patronage of the Minister of Education Yousef Al-Benyan and commission chairman Khalid Al-Sabti, showcased the Kingdom’s commitment to enhancing the quality of education as part of Saudi Vision 2030.

Participants included educational leaders, university deans, and company representatives, as well as principals and directors of schools from across Saudi Arabia.

At the forefront of the event was Misk Schools, which became the first institution in the country to receive accreditation from the commission.

Steffen Sommer, director general of the academic institute, told Arab News: “This accreditation reflects the dedication and hard work of our staff and students.

“We are proud to set a new standard for educational excellence and look forward to continuing our journey of growth and innovation.”

Nada Al-Hegali, girls’ school principal at Misk, spoke to Arab News about the challenges faced during the process, saying: “The challenge was relocating to a new campus amid the accreditation process.”

Al-Hegali went on to describe how the team provided invaluable support, and the students showed their resilience during the move.  

The Excellence 2024 forum recognized schools based on results from external evaluations. Public, private, and international schools were all recognized for their contributions to raising educational standards.

The event also saw the signing of accreditation agreements between the commission, through its excellence center, and 18 schools, further cementing the importance of collaboration in driving the Kingdom’s educational reform.

Al-Benyan spoke of his optimism about the future of Saudi education, noting that the forum would serve as a catalyst for schools to embrace competition and excellence.

He added: “These recognitions are not just an acknowledgment of past achievements but a push for continued improvement in our education system.”

Al-Sabti echoed his sentiments, emphasizing the importance of external evaluation in fostering a culture of quality.

He added: “The Excellence 2024 forum provides a national platform to strengthen the principles of educational excellence, ensuring that Saudi schools continue to align with international standards.”

As Saudi Arabia continues its journey toward fulfilling Vision 2030, the recognition of over 290 schools not only highlights the progress made so far, but also sets the stage for future improvements.

Schools like Misk, with its focus on innovation, are paving the way for others to follow.


Saudi foreign minister meets with WEF chief Klaus Schwab

Updated 14 October 2024
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Saudi foreign minister meets with WEF chief Klaus Schwab

RIYADH: Saudi foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan on Monday received Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum Klaus Schwab in Riyadh, state news agency SPA reported.

The officials discussed opportunities to boost cooperation and topics of common interest.


Experience global cultures as Riyadh Season launches 3 zones with exciting events

Updated 14 October 2024
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Experience global cultures as Riyadh Season launches 3 zones with exciting events

  • Boulevard World expands with new cultural zones, while Boulevard City introduces thrilling interactive adventures
  • Al-Suwaidi Park launches with a community spotlight, starting with Indian Week

RIYADH: Riyadh Season 2024 has announced the opening of three zones for the public: Boulevard World, Boulevard City, and Al-Suwaidi Park. These zones will host a series of weeks dedicated to communities.

Boulevard World will open its doors to the public daily from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. This season has seen several updates, including a 30 percent increase in zone size and the addition of five new zones: Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, Iran, Africa, and Courchevel.

With 22 zones representing various cultures worldwide, it boasts 300 restaurants and cafes and more than 890 shops, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.

The zones representing Egypt, Spain and Italy in Boulevard World have also been upgraded with 21 new activities suitable for different age groups, including theatrical performances and showcases from several countries, enhancing their appeal as an entertainment destination.

On Saturday night, the season’s opening was held at the Kingdom Arena with boxing matches, musical performances by hip-hop moguls Busta Rhymes, Missy Elliott, and Ciara. A member of the audience was selected to win a Mercedes-Benz G-Class, presented by General Entertainment Authority Chairman Turki Al-Sheikh.

This year, Boulevard City at Riyadh Season introduces new entertainment experiences, such as PUBG Mobile, where visitors can join a team and engage in immersive laser battles, competing to be the last one standing.

Visitors can also dive into the mysterious and exciting world of Detective Conan, where they become detectives in an effort to solve puzzles, uncover crime secrets, and find hidden treasures. This experience includes multiple stages filled with interactive challenges that require critical thinking and analysis.

Fans of family adventures and fantasy can embark on imaginative journeys with Bluey and Bingo World.

The Five Nights at Freddy’s experience returns for horror enthusiasts with a new, more thrilling, and challenging version. Visitors will confront high levels of fear as they attempt to survive the dangers surrounding them within the eerie shopping center.

These new experiences make Boulevard City an unmissable destination within the Riyadh Season events this year, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in exceptional adventures that blend excitement, fantasy, and horror.

Al-Suwaidi Park, one of Riyadh Season 2024’s most attractive destinations, spans 140,000 sq m and will host events from 4 p.m. to midnight. The series of community-dedicated weeks starts with Indian Week.

Indian Week will feature performances by renowned artists, impressive shows, traditional Indian cuisine, and opportunities to purchase clothing reflecting India’s rich cultural diversity.