TOLEDO, SPAIN: Saudi Arabia and France signed a pact on Thursday to strengthen tourism cooperation, focusing on investment, innovation, sustainability, skills development and destination marketing.
The agreement was signed between Saudi Arabia’s Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb and France’s Small and Medium Enterprises, Trade, Crafts, Tourism and Purchasing Power Minister Serge Papin on the sidelines of the 126th session of the UN Tourism Executive Council.
The officials reviewed their nations’ strategic tourism relationship, highlighting its role as a driver of economic growth and prosperity. They also discussed ways to deepen ties in sustainable growth, destination competitiveness, investment attraction and knowledge exchange.
The Saudi and French delegations meet on the sidelines of the 126th session of the UN Tourism Executive Council in Toledo, Spain, on June 11, 2026. (SPA)
Under the agreement, Saudi Arabia and France will cooperate in developing human capital through training programs, strategic workforce planning and the exchange of best practices, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The program includes measures to strengthen sustainable tourism development through the exchange of expertise on tourism flow management and the use of natural resources in the hospitality sector.
The two countries will also encourage collaboration between French technology startups and Saudi tourism stakeholders, support the adoption of digital solutions across the tourism industry and promote participation in technology and innovation forums.
The action program also provides for cooperation in knowledge-sharing on data collection and analysis, as well as dialogue on the use of artificial intelligence in information processing.
Other areas of cooperation include sharing expertise in organizing international events and expanding collaboration between the Saudi Tourism Authority and Atout France in destination marketing and promotion.
France remains the world’s most visited destination, welcoming more than 100 million international visitors in 2024, making the partnership an example of cooperation between two leading global tourism destinations.
