Prime Highlights
- Saudi Arabia and France signed a tourism cooperation agreement on the sidelines of the 126th UN Tourism Executive Council session in Toledo, Spain, covering investment, innovation, sustainability and destination marketing.
- The deal sets out joint work on workforce training, digital tools, AI in data processing and expanded cooperation between the Saudi Tourism Authority and Atout France on global destination promotion.
Key Facts
- Saudi Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb and French Minister Serge Papin signed the agreement, which also encourages collaboration between French technology startups and Saudi tourism stakeholders.
- France welcomed more than 100 million international visitors in 2024, making it the world’s most visited destination and a key partner for Saudi Arabia’s fast-growing tourism sector.
Background
Saudi Arabia and France have signed a formal tourism cooperation agreement, setting out a joint framework that covers investment, innovation, sustainability, skills development and destination marketing.
Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb signed the deal on behalf of Saudi Arabia, while France’s Minister for Small and Medium Enterprises, Trade, Crafts, Tourism and Purchasing Power, Serge Papin, signed for the French side.
The two officials met on the sidelines of the 126th session of the UN Tourism Executive Council in Toledo, Spain, where they also discussed how to deepen the strategic tourism relationship between their two countries.
Under the agreement, both nations will work together on training programmes, strategic workforce planning and the exchange of best practices to build stronger human capital in the tourism sector. They will also share expertise on managing tourism flows and the responsible use of natural resources in hospitality.
On the technology side, the deal encourages French startups to collaborate with Saudi tourism stakeholders and supports the adoption of digital tools across the industry. Both countries will also share knowledge on data collection, analysis and the use of artificial intelligence in information processing.
The Saudi Tourism Authority and Atout France will expand their work together on destination marketing and promotion, and both sides will cooperate on organising international events and participating in technology and innovation forums.
The agreement links two of the world’s most prominent tourism markets. France welcomed more than 100 million international visitors in 2024, keeping its position as the world’s most visited destination.
Saudi Arabia has been rapidly growing its tourism sector as part of its broader economic diversification push.
Officials on both sides described the partnership as a driver of economic growth, job creation and long-term competitiveness for both destinations.
