Saudi Arabia is ramping up the adoption of smart technologies such as artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and virtual reality across its tourism sector, aiming to redefine the visitor experience and support its broader economic diversification agenda.

Experts say the integration of these technologies across flagship projects like NEOM and the Red Sea Project is positioning the Kingdom as a global tourism hub at a time when the industry is recovering from the pandemic and projected to reach $11.7 trillion in economic contribution by 2025.

Smart tourism refers to the use of advanced digital technologies across the tourism value chain to enhance visitor experiences, improve operations, and support sustainable destination management.

“Saudi Arabia isn’t riding the wave of global tourism recovery; it’s creating its own momentum, using smart tourism as a catalyst for economic diversification, innovation leadership, and long-term global relevance,” - Julio De Salvo, Globant’s chief solution officer for the Middle East and North Africa and the Asia Pacific region

NEOM aims to elevate the visitor experience through AI-led personalization and immersive digital engagement.

The Red Sea Project similarly integrates smart infrastructure to enable seamless and sustainable guest experiences. The destination is deploying IoT sensors to monitor environmental indicators, utilities, and operational systems across its resorts and natural assets.

Read the full story at Arab News