- The event was hosted at the IOI Mall in Putrajaya, Malaysia.
- STA president Alhasan Aldabbagh highlights the Kingdom's growth as a fast-growing tourism destination.
- The STA's roadshow follows similar events in other Asian countries, including Indonesia and India.
Under Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector is thriving. The Kingdom is positioning itself as a dynamic and diverse year-round destination, aiming to contribute 10 percent to its GDP by 2030.
The STA is hosting its event at the IOI Mall in Putrajaya, Malaysia’s administrative capital, running through Sunday. The event features over a dozen cubicles and booths showcasing various tourist and cultural attractions.
“We are here to send a message to all the Malaysian people ... to welcome them to come to Saudi (Arabia),” Alhasan Aldabbagh, STA president for Asia-Pacific markets, said during the exhibition’s launch.
He highlighted the Kingdom as one of the fastest-growing tourism destinations and noted that Malaysian citizens can easily apply for an electronic visa to enter Saudi Arabia.
“Malaysians can go online by themselves and get the e-visa within minutes,” he said.
Tourists from Southeast Asia flock to the Kingdom, with over 1.5 million people from the region visiting Saudi Arabia annually.
Every year, tens of thousands of visitors from Malaysia travel to the Kingdom to perform the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages.
Many curious Malaysians who visited the exhibition enjoyed dates and gahwa, the traditional Arabic coffee. They also received invitations to explore the Kingdom’s heritage sites and numerous sports and entertainment events.
“There is a lot that Saudi is offering today. Saudi is very rich in culture and heritage,” Aldabbagh said, adding that there were a lot of attractions to go with Riyadh Season — a series of entertainment, cultural and sporting events that run in the Saudi capital throughout the winter months, starting in October.
“In March 2025, we will also host Formula One.”
The STA’s roadshow in Malaysia follows similar events held in other Asian countries over the past few years.
In May, the STA launched its first show exhibition in Indonesia, and in June, it signed an agreement with a leading Saudi investment company to develop an integrated residential ecosystem with accommodation tailored to visitors from China.
Since early 2023, the STA has intensified its promotional activities in India, expecting it to become the Kingdom’s top tourism source market by 2030.
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