The first edition of World Travel Market (WTM) Spotlight Riyadh opened in the Saudi capital on Tuesday, bringing together tourism leaders and international partners from around the world. The event runs until 10 September 2026 at the Riyadh Front Exhibition and Conference Center.
Saudi Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al Khateeb said the exhibition is being held in cooperation with the private sector, expressing hope that it will yield new agreements, meetings and opportunities that support the sector's growth and strengthen Saudi Arabia's position on the global tourism map, according to a post on the Saudi tourism minister's LinkedIn account.
The Saudi Ministry of Tourism is the strategic partner of the exhibition's inaugural edition, as part of its cooperation with the global travel community to support the growth of the tourism sector, attract investment and strengthen international partnerships.
The first edition is expected to draw more than 6,500 regional and international visitors, alongside 150 hosted international buyers, providing a platform for business meetings, networking and exploring cooperation opportunities in Saudi Arabia's tourism sector.
The exhibition brings together destinations and tourism bodies, hospitality providers, airlines, travel technology companies, investors and industry leaders to explore new business opportunities in the Saudi market.
The event focuses on several components of the travel ecosystem, including destinations, hospitality, aviation, travel technology, mobility and visitor experiences, while enabling direct engagement between participating companies and entities from inside and outside Saudi Arabia.
The exhibition comes as Saudi Arabia, under Vision 2030, aims to raise the tourism sector's contribution to 10% of GDP and reach 150 million domestic and international visitors annually by 2030.
Danielle Curtis, Regional Portfolio Director at organizer RX in the UAE, said the strategic partnership with the Ministry of Tourism aims to bring together decision-makers in the international travel industry, support business networking and the exchange of ideas, and provide direct access to the Saudi tourism market.
She added that WTM Spotlight Riyadh was launched to build business connections and encourage the exchange of expertise among travel professionals, in step with the transformation under way in the Kingdom's tourism sector.
To view the post on the RX website, click here.
