RIYADH: As Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector expands in pursuit of its ambitious Vision 2030 goals, artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly embedded across the travel experience — from planning itineraries and streamlining accommodation bookings to delivering more personalized customer experiences.
Industry leaders say AI is driving a broader transformation of the sector by enabling more tailored visitor experiences while reinforcing responsible governance.
Speaking to Arab News, Muzzamil Ahussain, CEO of Almosafer Travel and Tourism Co., the Kingdom and region’s leading omnichannel travel brand, said AI is reshaping the industry by cutting through the overwhelming number of travel options and delivering more relevant recommendations.
“The real problem was never having too few options; it was having too many irrelevant ones. AI shifts that equation by understanding intent first — who is traveling, with whom, for what purpose, at what budget, and with what cultural preferences,” Ahussain said.
He cited Saudi families planning trips to the rapidly emerging Red Sea destination as an example, explaining that AI can summarize reviews from travelers with similar profiles and preferences to generate more meaningful recommendations.
The growing intersection of AI and tourism is also helping diversify travel across the Kingdom. (SPA)
Ahussain said the growing intersection of AI and tourism is also helping diversify travel across the Kingdom.
“By highlighting trending destinations such as Abha, Jubail, and Tabuk, alongside fast-rising giga-destinations like The Red Sea and Qiddiya City, we are actively diversifying tourism beyond the traditional major hubs.”
He added that Almosafer is working with the Saudi Tourism Authority to improve the discoverability of destinations across the Kingdom.
“Our models already summarize reviews and tag content to deliver relevant choices, resulting in a 22 percent increase in conversion rates. We are moving from a click economy to a conversation economy,” he added.
Industry leaders such as Ahussain believe AI will fundamentally reshape the tourism sector. While the technology is enhancing the customer experience, its impact extends well beyond user-facing services into software development and engineering.
DID YOU KNOW?
• AI is helping travelers discover emerging Saudi destinations such as Abha, Jubail, Tabuk, The Red Sea and Qiddiya City.
• Industry leaders say AI is shifting travel from a ‘click economy’ to a ‘conversation economy.’
• AI analyzes travelers' budget, purpose, companions and preferences to deliver tailored recommendations.
“Our engineering platform is supported by over 250 million lines of code and a microservices architecture that processes approximately 10 billion requests per month,” he said, adding that around 50 percent of Almosafer’s code is co-authored by AI and that 85 percent of its engineering teams actively use AI.
As AI adoption accelerates across the tourism industry, discussions around ethics, accountability, and trust are becoming increasingly important. IBM, a global leader in enterprise AI, is among the companies addressing the governance challenges associated with deploying AI across sectors including tourism.
Speaking to Arab News, Ayman Al-Rashed, regional vice president of IBM Saudi Arabia, said trust will become even more critical as AI becomes embedded in travel ecosystems spanning airlines, airports, hotels, and digital travel platforms.
“Tourism has always been a trust industry. Visitors share their identities, travel plans, payment information, and preferences throughout their journey.”
He said IBM is helping organizations navigate the complexities of responsible AI deployment.
Driven by Vision 2030, the convergence of AI and tourism is bringing together two of the Kingdom’s fastest-growing sectors. (Supplied)
“What we are seeing today is that as organizations scale AI-driven services, they also need the ability to manage sensitive data and AI workloads in line with local requirements while maintaining resilience and flexibility. This is one of the reasons IBM introduced Sovereign Core, software designed to help organizations embed governance, control, and compliance into their cloud environments while creating a secure foundation for innovation.”
Al-Rashed said safeguarding customer information remains paramount as AI systems become more deeply integrated into travel services.
“The biggest consideration is not the volume of data being collected, but how that data is governed throughout its lifecycle.”
He also echoed Ahussain’s view that AI's most significant impact often takes place behind the scenes rather than through visible customer-facing features.
“What customers see is often the visible layer — a chatbot, mobile application, or personalized recommendation. The real work happens behind the scenes, ensuring the AI is using trusted data, models are governed, systems are monitored, and humans can intervene when needed.”
His comments underscore how AI is becoming central to the operation of digital tourism platforms, extending far beyond virtual assistants and recommendation engines.
As Saudi Arabia’s tourism industry continues to evolve, so too does the technology underpinning it. Driven by Vision 2030, the convergence of artificial intelligence and tourism is bringing together two of the Kingdom’s fastest-growing investment sectors. Industry leaders say the sector’s long-term success will depend not only on innovation, but also on maintaining trust, transparency, and personalization while making travel more seamless for visitors.
