By Abdullah AlZahrani, Executive Director – Global Brand Development and Marketing at Red Sea Global

“Saudi Arabia is growing at a speed and scale unlike anything the world has ever seen”. This is a sentiment that proudly echoed the halls at the eagerly awaited return of the world’s biggest travel show, ITB Berlin, as it marked its in-person comeback after four long years. To put this into perspective: the last time the forum convened global industry leaders, the Kingdom was reaping the early rewards of the first-ever international tourist visas and total tourism spending reaching SR154 billion ($41 billion).

Today, the country stands firm as the world’s fastest growing tourism destination in the G20, with tourism spending hitting SR185 billion ($49 billion).

I had the honor of joining colleagues from the Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) and fellow giga-projects on the global ITB stage this week, to represent this historic transformation with the largest exhibition on the floor.

It was remarkable to witness invigorating discussions shaped by this year’s event theme of “Open for Change,” with 5,500 exhibiting companies from more than 160 countries exploring the most important causes shaping the global tourism and travel industry.

For my part, I spoke about how we are forging an exciting future of tourism at Red Sea Global (RSG).

Creating the world’s most spectacular tourism experiences

At RSG, we’ve been experiencing a transformative few months. In October, we revealed our new group brand positioning — and with it, a growing portfolio of projects that will prioritize a positive impact for people and planet beyond our two luxury tourism destinations, The Red Sea and Amaala.

Two such subsidiaries are WAMA and Galaxea, tasked with defining incredible guest activities above and below the turquoise waters and allowing us to further deliver on our ambitious regenerative approach to tourism development. WAMA — derived from combining the word for ‘water’ in English and Arabic — will create invigorating water sport adventures, while Galaxea — named after a bold and vibrant coral prevalent in the Red Sea — will offer unparalleled diving experiences.

An exciting year ahead

Equally exciting is witnessing our blueprints take shape after five years of remarkable progress. Our flagship destination, The Red Sea, is entering a new phase as we complete our first hotels this year, receive our first domestic flights to the purpose-built Red Sea International Airport, and welcome our first guests to embark on a journey of breathtaking discovery and luxury.

Six Senses Southern Dunes, The Red Sea, will be the first to complete in the coming months, inviting guests to experience the very best of Saudi culture and hospitality. The St. Regis Red Sea Resort and Nujuma, a Ritz Carlton Reserve, will follow later this year at our stunning, remote untouched Ummahat Islands – also home to our WAMA and Galaxea hubs.

Transformative travel inspired by world-class wellness

Further down the coast at Amaala, our thrilling progress is guided through the lens of an all-encompassing approach to health and wellness. The Triple Bay phase one development is well underway, with eight resorts on track — two of which we proudly announced in recent weeks.

We cemented the destination’s first series of partnerships with leading longevity clinic and wellness brand, Clinique La Prairie, and wellness resort operator Jayasom. Each promises to take our guests on transformative personal journeys inspired by arts, wellness, and the purity of the Red Sea.

Indeed, our milestones speak for themselves. But this is just the beginning of our ambition to spearhead a new model of development that leads Saudi Arabia’s charge towards a more sustainable future on the global stage.