17-07-2025
The power of imagination: Writing the future of Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia has recently emerged as a destination of choice, both for international tourists and its own residents. The UN World Tourism Organisation ranks Saudi Arabia third globally for the highest tourism growth rate in 2024. And while this growth is important on its own, it reflects a much deeper and more multifaceted change: the brand image of Saudi Arabia.
Last month, the Saudi Ministry of Tourism issued its annual report, announcing that the number of tourists in 2024 reached 115.9 million. This marks a 69 per cent increase from 2019 and a 112 per cent increase in the share of international tourists who visited Saudi Arabia for leisure and entertainment. The number of domestic tourists has also seen a remarkable increase — 35 per cent over the last three years.
But what is driving this change? Simply listing the many important initiatives to advance the tourism sector falls short of providing a convincing answer. The answer lies in the triangular intersection between tourism, technology, and the creative industry. What Saudi Arabia has achieved in the past few years is not the result of reform policies alone — it is the outcome of bold imagination.
'Nations are imagined communities,' states Benedict Anderson, political scientist and author of Imagined Communities (1983), who argues that nations are social constructs imagined into existence through shared language, media, culture, and institutions.
Guided by Vision 2030, four key assets are shaping Saudi Arabia today: cultural revival, green tourism, sports and gaming, and a tech-forward identity. What brings these four assets together is a proactive commitment to crafting a well-balanced, tailored, and unique nation brand for a country that has opted for a more challenging route to modernisation. A brand that captures the soul of Arabia; a very unique Saudi soul (روح) that reclaims the past through cultural continuity and writes the future through technology.
Saudi Arabia is now home to eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites, comprising seven cultural sites and one natural site, as well as five elements of intangible cultural heritage inscribed on the UNESCO list Najdi Ardah, Al-Qatt Al-Aseeri art, and others. The remarkable transformation of AlUla, which is home to Hegra, Saudi Arabia's first UNESCO site, from its ancient Nabataean roots into a global cultural destination is not only sensational but also captures the essence of the soul of the land of Arabia.
What truly distinguishes the Saudi cultural reimagination is the investment in high-tech cultural experiences that marry storytelling with digital heritage and augmented reality. For example, virtual reality (VR)-powered reconstructions are now installed in Diriyah, in northwest Riyadh, allowing visitors to revisit the heart of a historical city that was established in 1446 AD. Moreover, Diriyah's visitors are assisted by AI chatbots that deliver customised insights into Najdi architecture.
Under Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia has also adopted various green and sustainable tourism initiatives. Policies such as the Saudi Green Initiative — which comprises 85 activated projects — and Green Riyadh are improving quality of life in both urban and rural areas. They are transforming the lives of Saudis everywhere and reinforcing a sense of national pride.
The sports, e-sports, and gaming sector is another key asset in Saudi nation branding. Next week, Saudi Arabia will host the Esports World Cup 2025 in Riyadh. With a line-up of more than 2,000 elite players, more than 25 global titles, and a record-breaking $70m prize pool, this event is set to be the largest esports event in the world.
According to the Saudi National Gaming and Esports Strategy, there are approximately 23.5 million gaming enthusiasts in Saudi Arabia, representing 67 per cent of the population and 71 per cent of the GCC gaming community. And while one can adopt a reductionist and limited approach to understanding the impact of gaming in Saudi Arabia, Webedia — in a forthcoming publication — argues that gaming is a social, cultural, and economic force that is transforming the country.
This unique Saudi soul puts the creative industry in a challenging position. The question everyone in our industry should be asking is: How can we contribute to the nation branding of Saudi Arabia today in a manner that is culturally sensitive and technologically relevant?
The balance is not easy to strike. The challenges and opportunities offered by the intersection between tourism, nation branding, digital technologies and the creative industries are countless. But what is not needed is more tech-savvy solutions that are culturally blind, mimics what is happening elsewhere and most improtantly fails to capture the soul of Saudi Arabia.
I first landed in Saudi Arabia on 28 November 2001 — twenty-four years ago. Since then, I have traveled the world. But rarely have I witnessed a change as visionary and layered. Today, it is not just policymakers or strategists who are called to act — but creatives, artists and storytellers — those who can carry this transformation forward and make it known.
And many have already stepped up to the responsibility in meaningful ways:
Content creators partnering with government entities to design cultural campaigns that reintroduce heritage sites to local and global audiences;
Publishers and agencies working with gaming companies to launch branded experiences;
Culture-focused influencers given an unfiltered platform to entertain; and
Integrated campaigns that connect tourism, sustainability, and Saudi innovation across all activations.
But what remains evidently missing is capturing the inspirational and raw stories of the people of Saudi Arabia.
This remarkable shift in Saudi Arabia cannot be documented, celebrated, or presented to the world — or to us — unless it is built on creativity that is people-centred; one that speaks the language, understands the regional diversity within the Kingdom, and leverages the talent that is embracing and shaping this unprecedented change.
The Saudi success must be told through voices that speak the language of its people, reflect its regions, and celebrate its own distinctive imagination.
By George Maktabi, Group Chief Executive Officer at Webedia Arabia
