Recent Wego data shows domestic winter travel in Saudi Arabia surged, with local flight bookings up 64% year-on-year. Residents increasingly favour short, experience-focused trips exploring the Kingdom’s cultural, recreational, and natural attractions.
ENVI Lodges, the outdoor hospitality brand specialising in experiential lodges, has signed a management agreement to develop ENVI Al Shafa, a mountain retreat nestled in the serene hills near Taif, Saudi Arabia. Scheduled to open in December 2026.
For one month each year, Saudi changes its rhythm entirely. Days grow quieter and slower, and then, as the sun sets, Saudi comes alive. Streets fill, tables stretch long, music and storytelling echo through historic districts, and cities transform into social spaces shaped by food, family, and shared moments.
Dusit International is advancing in the Middle East with the phased 2026 opening of Dusit Princess Al Majma’ah in Riyadh, marking the group’s first operational hotel in Saudi Arabia.
Rotana, one of the leading hotel management companies in the region, has announced the signing of Centro Hail, a new lifestyle hotel developed with Alkhorayef Investment and Development and the Tourism Development Fund.
Saudi Arabia has announced the names of 24 companies that have won licences in the ninth exploration licensing round, the largest in its history to date. The winning entities were awarded 172 mining sites across three mineralised belts in Riyadh, Madinah and Qassim regions.
Saudi Arabia’s foreign direct investment (FDI) net inflows for the third quarter of 2025 surged to SAR24.9 billion ($6.6 billion), up 34% over the previous year. The Q3 figure also showed a 5.2% jump when compared to the previous quarter, said a report.
The value of assets held by local and foreign public investment funds in the Saudi financial market grew by 36.1% annually, climbing by SAR57.9 billion ($15.44 billion) to approximately SAR217.9 billion ($58.11 billion) by the end of the third quarter of 2025, compared to SAR160.1 billion during the same period in 2024.
Saudi Arabia is participating in the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2026, which opens today in Davos, Switzerland, through the “Saudi House” pavilion initiative with an expanded programme – the largest since the launch of the initiative.
The Saudi Red Sea Authority (SRSA) has launched requirements and regulations for beach operators that redefine beaches as regulated operational environments rather than mere public spaces, establishing a unified national framework to develop the coastal tourism sector by managing risks, enhancing quality, and prioritising the protection of life.
