The founding CEO of the Saudi Tourism Authority (STA), Fahd Hamidaddin, is driving the establishment of new destinations, reshaping world travelers' dreams of Saudi, and their experiences in it.

As the national tourism board of Saudi, STA sits at the centre of an ecosystem of government, private sector leaders and innovators. Saudi is now the world’s fastest-growing tourism destination, with a record-breaking 93.5 million visits in 2022. STA is the global-facing facilitator and partner for tourism companies, airlines, and travel global distributors – charged with creating Saudi Arabia’s national brand and taking it to the world.

Hamidaddin is Managing Director of Nusuk (the transformational platform for spiritual travel to Makkah and Madinah) and sits on the board of several major international and domestic tourism organizations, from Qiddiyah, the Saudi Air Connectivity Program, the Red Sea Authority and Saudi Airlines, all focused on high-impact delivery for the sector globally.

Since its launch in 2020, STA has harnessed the power of technology, bold creativity, and cutting-edge innovation to accelerate development. With sector investment of $800 billion by 2030 and through prioritizing partnership, STA is creating impact internationally, boosting Saudi’s connectivity and building excitement, interest, and demand in visiting the Kingdom.

Committed to elevating the visitor journey beyond anything experienced before and through engagement with the international community, STA is creating true value for visitors as the authentic home of Arabia.

Beyond launching the Visit Saudi brand and helping to open Saudi to the world, Hamidaddin has championed making travel more accessible for consumers and trade partners through innovation, from looking for new ideas and tech solutions through a “Tourism Sector Accelerator Program”, to the launch of the Nusuk platform.

Achievements

• As founding CEO and board member of STA, Fahd Hamidaddin is a global-facing facilitator and partner for Saudi tourism at the center of an ecosystem of government, private sector leaders and innovators.

• Under his leadership, Saudi tourism has matured fast. STA has gained international recognition at 120 global events, including 80 trade shows, signed key strategic partnerships with Wizz Air to increase air connectivity to European cities, making Saudi more accessible and affordable, as well as leading trade platforms Expedia, Booking.com, Dnata, Amadeus, and payment solutions such as UnionPay. More than 5,000 partners have been secured overall.

• The ‘Saudi, Welcome to Arabia’ brand was activated through an international Visit Saudi brand campaign, eVisa international campaign, Messi as STA global brand ambassador, high-profile sponsorships including TATA Indian Premier League and activations such as the Saudi Café at WEF Davos.

• At STA, Fahd oversees more than 500 employees and 16 representative offices globally, serving 38 countries.

• Together, Saudi has transformed into one of the world’s fastest-growing tourism destinations, with a record-breaking 93.5 million visits in 2022.

• He is Managing Director of Nusuk and sits on the board of several renowned international and domestic tourism organizations.

• Since its launch in 2020, STA has harnessed the power of technology, bold creativity, and cutting-edge innovation to accelerate development.

• With sector investment of $800 billion by 2030 and through prioritizing partnership, STA is making an impact internationally, boosting connectivity and accessibility.

• Beyond launching the Visit Saudi brand and sharing the Saudi tourist visa with the world, Hamidaddin has championed making travel more accessible for consumers and trade partners through innovation, from looking for new ideas and tech solutions through a “Tourism Sector Accelerator Program”, to the launch of the Nusuk platform.

• The journey continues towards achieving the tourism goals for Vision 2030