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

Special 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

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.”
 

 


Sudan’s army chief receives Saudi deputy foreign minister in Port Sudan

Sudan’s army chief Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan receives Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Al-Khuraiji in Port Sudan.
Sudan’s army chief Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan receives Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Al-Khuraiji in Port Sudan.
Updated 05 November 2024
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Sudan’s army chief receives Saudi deputy foreign minister in Port Sudan

Sudan’s army chief Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan receives Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Al-Khuraiji in Port Sudan.
  • During the meeting, Al-Khuraiji stressed the keenness of the Kingdom’s leadership on restoring security and stability in Sudan

RIYADH: Sudan’s army chief Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan received Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Al-Khuraiji in Port Sudan on Tuesday.

During the meeting, Al-Khuraiji stressed the keenness of the Kingdom’s leadership on restoring security and stability in Sudan.

The minister’s visit to the country comes as part of the Kingdom’s ongoing efforts to address the crisis in Sudan, reach a ceasefire, and restore stability to the country. 

The Kingdom continues to support the humanitarian response efforts to alleviate the suffering of the Sudanese people, Saudi Press Agency said. 


Saudi pavilion at UNESCO Arab Week in Paris celebrates Kingdom’s camel culture

Saudi pavilion at UNESCO Arab Week in Paris celebrates Kingdom’s camel culture
Updated 05 November 2024
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Saudi pavilion at UNESCO Arab Week in Paris celebrates Kingdom’s camel culture

Saudi pavilion at UNESCO Arab Week in Paris celebrates Kingdom’s camel culture
  • It shows how the role of the camel evolved from essential means of transport and provider of resources to a cultural icon embodying the Kingdom’s values

PARIS: The Saudi pavilion at UNESCO’s Arab Week event in Paris this week featured a showcase of the Kingdom’s deep-rooted connection to camel culture.

It explored the role of the animals as a vital part of the nation’s heritage, identity and civilization, and offered a glimpse into their enduring place in society, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.

The exhibits showed how the role of the camel has evolved from essential means of transport and provider of resources to a cultural icon that embodies the Kingdom’s values, and the ways in which camels are embedded in Saudi customs, traditions and literature, including poetry and proverbs.

The Saudi Ministry of Culture designated 2024 “The Year of the Camel” to highlight and reinforce the status of the animal as a national symbol and cornerstone of the Arabian cultural identity. Camels are regularly celebrated across the country through dedicated festivals, race events, clubs and research centers.

UNESCO’s Arab Week, which features 22 Arab nations, was initiated by Saudi Arabia. Guests at the official opening of the event on Monday included Saudi envoys, ambassadors representing other nations, Arab and other international diplomats stationed in France, and officials from UNESCO.


AI makes media industry more efficient and drives growth, expert says

Martin Sorrell, founder and executive chairman of S4 Capital, speaks to Arab News at the Athar Festival of Creativity.
Martin Sorrell, founder and executive chairman of S4 Capital, speaks to Arab News at the Athar Festival of Creativity.
Updated 05 November 2024
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AI makes media industry more efficient and drives growth, expert says

Martin Sorrell, founder and executive chairman of S4 Capital, speaks to Arab News at the Athar Festival of Creativity.
  • Martin Sorrell: ‘AI speeds up writing processes, increasing efficiency’
  • New tech allows for increasingly personalized content

RIYADH: Artificial intelligence is being used more effectively and efficiently to drive higher economic development in the media industry, said Martin Sorrell, founder and executive chairman of S4 Capital.

At a panel session at the Athar Festival of Creativity Sorrell described how media agencies, such as S4 Capital and its subsidiary, Media.Monks, are using AI in a number of ways.

One application of AI in media, he said, is in “speeding the execution of copywriting and visualization.”

Time to market is drastically decreasing: “What took us literally days is now taking us three hours,” he said. Yet this produces another problem because reducing the time of procurement cuts costs, but this also means it is necessary to move to a model that increases gains in outputs,” he said.

Another application is in personalizing content for consumers. Sorrell told Arab News: “Individualization, hyper personalization, are going to become more important. Knowing the consumer in excruciating detail, using data, using the signals from the platforms, using first-party data, it becomes even more important.”

Using Netflix audience feedback algorithms as an example, Sorrell pointed out that AI enables these algorithms to produce larger and more accurate quantities of output, for example, recommendations based on user profile readings.

“We charge on a per asset used basis. Price of the asset may come down, but total revenue grows because we’re using multiple assets,” he said.

A growing area is in “media planning and buying.” Sophisticated algorithms can far more efficiently choose the distribution of planning and buying than individual media planners.

Technological capital and human capital, however, go hand in hand.

“We as agencies have to validate the algorithm’s analysis. We have to make sure that the client’s money is spent in the right way.”

Another benefit of AI is its ability to improve organizational efficiency. Where organizational silos once kept departments and specializations separate, AI opens up information to the majority of users.

To maintain the emotional connection and trust of the brand-consumer relationship in a technologically driven world, according to Sorrell, understanding individual motivation is increasingly crucial.

“Insights into culture, insights into language, into custom, into belief, into family, into country, that knowledge becomes critically important, far more so in a globalized world,” he said.

The diversity and knowledge of global and local organizations are essential for the success of any company, but the value of personalization means that local knowledge may take the lead, he added.

Quoting Harvard Business School professor Ted Levitt, Sorrell continued: “because remember, consumers will consume everything in the same way everywhere.”

Advising young professionals in tech, media and other industries operating in an AI-powered future, Sorrell said that rather than stripping away opportunities from creatives, avoiding the risk of “bombarding” consumers with much of the same, AI means “creativity becomes even more important.”

Additionally, creatives need to familiarize themselves with the skills and roles that are complementary to the new world: “I think every creative should learn Chinese. I think every creative should learn Spanish, probably Arabic too … and they should learn code.”

“The skills of the ‘Mad Men’, that Don Draper had or his colleagues … are very different to what you need now.”


Saudi Arabia has launched 22 new routes this year as part of tourism drive, ACP’s CEO says

The CEO of the Air Connectivity Program Majid Khan speaks at the Umrah+ Connect event in London on Monday November 4, 2024. (AN
The CEO of the Air Connectivity Program Majid Khan speaks at the Umrah+ Connect event in London on Monday November 4, 2024. (AN
Updated 05 November 2024
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Saudi Arabia has launched 22 new routes this year as part of tourism drive, ACP’s CEO says

The CEO of the Air Connectivity Program Majid Khan speaks at the Umrah+ Connect event in London on Monday November 4, 2024. (AN
  • Kingdom has attracted 12 new airlines to date in 2024

LONDON: Saudi Arabia has launched 22 new routes from various destinations to the Kingdom this year, increasing tourist seating capacity by nearly 2 million, the CEO of the Air Connectivity Program has said.

Speaking at the Umrah+ Connect business-to-business event in London on Monday, Majid Khan said the Kingdom had attracted 12 new airlines to date in 2024.

Khan said: “There has been good expansion out of the UK. Virgin Atlantic is going to start daily flights from Heathrow to Riyadh in March; British Airways launched flights to Jeddah yesterday; Wizz Air will also be operating Gatwick to Jeddah flights daily.

“We are definitely focusing on our own carriers as well, because they are definitely our first priority; Flynas, flyadeal, Saudia, and Riyadh Air in the future.

“But we are also proactively working with international carriers in order to help us to get a higher share of inbound tourism to the Kingdom, as they have their sales and marketing channels in this part of the world.

“We know that the majority of BA travelers are not Saudis. They are actually travelers from the UK market, from their network in Europe and North America.”

Saudi Arabia has a strong, strategic location and travelers can reach more than half of the world within a six-hour flight, Khan said. He added that the ACP was working to deliver 150 million tourists to the Kingdom as part of Saudi Vision 2030.

He said: “Saudi Arabia is like one continent. We have 1,700 km of coastline, the new Maldives that’s actually the Red Sea, the two holiest sites for Muslims in the world, and mountainous regions.

“In the south we have Abha and Jazan, which I would personally call the Switzerland of Saudi Arabia. So it’s definitely an untouched wonder.”

An exhibition at the event highlighted new tourism developments in the Kingdom that British pilgrims can enjoy, including religious sites and activities that promote an understanding of Saudi cultural heritage.

Khan said the ACP was trying to revolutionize the way pilgrims travel, allowing them to holiday in the Kingdom after performing their religious rituals.

He said: “If we take the UK market, travelers typically have one Umrah ticket in their pocket to perform the minor pilgrimage with their family and friends. They then come back again to the UK, and have a separate ticket to either Dubai, Istanbul, or Malaga.

“This is something we would like to change. Travelers can perform Umrah, see the sacred places, and then save their tickets and continue to travel around the Kingdom. That’s the way we try to position Saudi Arabia.”

Rashid Mohammed, the organizer of Umrah+ Connect, said that Monday’s event had provided an opportunity for Umrah travel agents to network and grow their businesses.

Rashid Mohammed, the organizer of Umrah+ Connect (fourth from right), poses with the team from the Pilgrim Experience Program. (Umrah+ Connect)

Mohammed said: “We’ve brought you a diverse experience here in London, and it’s for you to use these tools, through connecting with people, to create packages that enhance and enrich pilgrim experiences.

“We’re also grateful for the support of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, and the Umrah and Ziyarah Forum, who are here today and have really backed us to put on this show.”


Saudi minister receives German foreign ministry official

Saudi minister receives German foreign ministry official
Updated 05 November 2024
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Saudi minister receives German foreign ministry official

Saudi minister receives German foreign ministry official
  • Discussions focused on enhancing relations, regional and international developments and issues of common concern

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Minister for Political Affairs Saud Al-Sati received Gregory Bledjian, head of the Middle East division at the German Foreign Ministry, and several accompanying officials, in Riyadh on Tuesday.

During the meeting, they discussed ways to enhance relations, regional and international developments, and issues of common interest, the Foreign Ministry wrote on X.

Meanwhile, Shoura Council Speaker Dr. Abdullah bin Mohammed Al-Asheikh received Turkiye’s Ambassador to the Kingdom Emrullah Isler in Riyadh on Tuesday, the Saudi Press Agency reported.