Saudi Tourism Authority to make its debut at MATTA Fair

Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) will participate in Malaysia’s leading consumer travel fair, MATTA Fair 2023, as both sponsor and destination partner, showcasing the country’s rich culture and heritage.

STA aims to raise awareness of Saudi Arabia as a world-class tourism destination. With a 121% year-over-year growth from pre-pandemic levels, Saudi Arabia recorded 93.5 million visits in 2022 and is ahead of the global tourism sector’s recovery, as recognized by the UNWTO.

As the world’s biggest investor in tourism, Saudi Arabia has committed over $100 billion to develop new destinations by 2030. The Saudi pavilion at MATTA Fair 2023 will provide a platform for partners to engage directly with and build relationships with STA representatives, showcasing the breadth and diversity of the country’s dynamic tourism offering.

Malaysia is already a key tourism source market for Saudi Arabia, with 312,000 Malaysian visitors in 2022 and an aim to double visitor numbers this year. In the run-up to the fair, Saudi Tourism Authority hosted a successful roadshow in Kuala Lumpur last month with 22 partners, including DMCs, hoteliers, Umrah companies, and travel associations, to announce the launch of Nusuk (nusuk.sa), the new Umrah integrated digital platform that welcomes pilgrims globally to experience Umrah.

At the exhibition, visitors can look forward to the enhanced Umrah+ packages designed to welcome Malaysian travellers to discover Saudi Arabia as a great holiday destination with rich cultural and historical offerings, pristine nature, and diverse landscapes. These packages will highlight the latest developments and most attractive destinations in Saudi Arabia, including culture and heritage, nature, and entertainment.

Saudi Arabia is home to six UNESCO World Heritage Sites and more than 10,000 archaeological sites that are yet unexplored, including historical places like Al Balad in Jeddah and Turaif in Diriyah, the birthplace of Saudi Arabia. In addition, a $50.6 billion master plan will transform Diriyah, a 300-year-old city, into one of the world’s most exciting cultural sites.

Nature lovers can enjoy some of the world’s most vibrant, untouched coral reefs in the Red Sea, go deep-sea fishing, scuba dive, and snorkel year-round off the coast of Jeddah while enjoying pristine beaches offering every water sport imaginable. Entertainment seekers can enjoy Saudi Arabia hosting large sporting events and world-class festivals such as Diriyah E-Prix and Formula 1 in Jeddah, MDLBeast, the world’s largest music festival, and Riyadh Seasons. This mega festival attracted more than one million visitors in its first week.

In addition, travellers can experience a stopover in Saudi Arabia for up to 96 hours and enjoy a complimentary one-night hotel stay with Saudia using the Stopover Visa, available to all leisure, business, and religious Malaysian travellers flying on SAUDIA and flynas. This makes Saudi Arabia a perfect stopover destination for Malaysians travelling to Europe, the UK, and the US.

Alhasan Aldabbagh, President – of APAC, Saudi Tourism Authority, said, “We are delighted to be present here as the destination partner for MATTA Fair 2023 and have this opportunity to showcase the beauty of Saudi Arabia. Our role is to support our partners, showcase the new, undiscovered experiences, and unlock the wealth of opportunity the destination presents as we embark on our ambitious goal of welcoming 100 million visits by 2030.”