As Saudi Arabia moves into the next phase of its tourism transformation, developing the skills, leadership and local capabilities required to translate unprecedented investment into sustainable economic value will become increasingly important, according to Ibrahim Osta, Senior Economic Growth Director and Global Tourism Lead at Chemonics International, and Professor of Management at the George Washington University School of Business.
Ibrahim Osta, Senior Economic Growth Director and Global Tourism Lead at Chemonics International, and Professor of Management at the George Washington University School of Business
According to the latest tourism-establishment data from Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), cited by Osta, the Kingdom already has just over one million employees in tourism activities, but only about one-quarter are Saudi nationals. According to Osta, the challenge is therefore no longer simply about generating employment but about ensuring that Saudi talent can enter the sector, develop specialist skills, and progress as the tourism economy expands.
“Saudi Arabia has created tourism employment at remarkable speed. The next phase is about depth: Saudi nationals entering the sector, building specialist expertise, progressing into leadership, and increasingly creating businesses of their own. Scale and depth have to advance together. That is how rapid employment growth becomes lasting national capability,” said Osta.
“Training centres alone do not create careers. Careers are created when occupational standards, employer demand, recognised qualifications, real hiring pathways and opportunities for progression are connected. The question our panel will explore with employers, educators and government is not simply how many people we train, but whether the system enables talented Saudi nationals to enter the sector, build expertise and see a credible path into leadership,” he added.
These themes will form part of the wider industry discussion at the inaugural WTM Spotlight Riyadh, taking place from 8–10 September 2026 at the Riyadh Front Exhibition & Conference Center (RFECC). Bringing together Saudi and international tourism leaders, policymakers, educators and industry experts, the event will explore the opportunities and challenges shaping the Kingdom’s rapidly evolving tourism economy as it advances the ambitions of Vision 2030.
On the final day of the event, Osta will moderate the Future Stage session Talent & Leadership Panel: One Million Tourism Careers – Delivering Saudi Arabia’s Tourism Vision Beyond 2030, held in partnership with Chemonics International. The session will examine the talent and leadership required to support the Kingdom’s ambition to attract 150 million visitors and create more than one million tourism jobs by 2030, with a particular focus on the priorities needed as Saudi tourism moves from rapid expansion into its next phase of growth.
The session will bring together senior perspectives from across this emerging talent ecosystem. Panellists include Salem Al Shahrani, Chief of Staff, Rua Al Haram Al Makki, King Salman Gate Project; Raed Alghamdi, Assistant Manager – Education and Capability Building, Red Sea Global; Fahad Alhuqbani, Vice Dean for Graduate Studies and Scientific Research, College of Tourism & Archaeology, King Saud University; The Hon. Edmund C. Bartlett, OJ.CD.MP. LLD (Hon), Minister of Tourism, Jamaica; Muhannad Alghanmi, Director, Leadership Development, Qiddiya; and Salman A. Alarifi, General Manager of Technology Enablement, Ministry of Tourism, Saudi Arabia.
Looking beyond 2030, the skills required to support Saudi Arabia’s tourism ambitions will continue to evolve as the Kingdom’s visitor economy grows in scale and sophistication, with technology playing an increasingly important role across destinations, operations, and the visitor experience.
Salem Al Shahrani, Chief of Staff, Rua Al Haram Al Makki, King Salman Gate, said: “The tourism workforce of the future is not one workforce. A destination needs engineering and infrastructure, hospitality, retail, culture, mobility and technology, and all of those disciplines have to come together as one operating system.
“King Salman Gate is expected to generate more than 300,000 jobs by 2036 across an integrated destination adjacent to AlMasjid AlHaram, serving residents, pilgrims and visitors. The opportunity for Saudi Arabia is to build Saudi expertise across that full range of professions, with clear pathways into specialist and leadership roles, rather than thinking about tourism careers only in frontline terms.”
The next generation of tourism leaders will require a broader mix of capabilities, spanning AI and data analytics, digital marketing and revenue management, immersive technologies such as AR and VR, crowd management, event operations, risk and safety, sustainability, bilingual guest service, and cross-cultural intelligence.
Danielle Curtis, Regional Portfolio Director – UAE, RX
Danielle Curtis, Regional Portfolio Director – UAE, RX, said: “Saudi Arabia has demonstrated extraordinary ambition in developing its tourism sector, and the next phase is about ensuring the talent pipeline evolves at the same pace. As destinations, giga-projects, hospitality developments and visitor experiences continue to come online, investing in people will be fundamental to translating that growth into lasting economic impact.
“The scale of opportunity for young Saudi nationals is particularly exciting because tourism careers now extend far beyond traditional hospitality roles. WTM Spotlight Riyadh provides an important platform to bring employers, educators, government and international experts together to explore how we build those pathways earlier, develop future leaders and ensure Saudi talent plays a defining role in delivering the Kingdom’s tourism ambitions beyond 2030.”
WTM Spotlight Riyadh has been created to facilitate this exchange of knowledge and expertise, connecting Saudi Arabia’s rapidly developing tourism ecosystem with international markets, businesses and industry leaders.
By connecting the world to Saudi Arabia and Saudi Arabia to the world, WTM Spotlight Riyadh will provide a platform for collaboration, knowledge exchange, and commercial opportunities as the Kingdom continues to build the people, businesses, and experiences required for the next chapter of its tourism transformation.
Visitor registration for WTM Spotlight Riyadh is now open, with travel professionals invited to secure their place at the inaugural event and engage directly with one of the world’s fastest-growing tourism markets. For exhibitor enquiries, please click here.
