Indonesia and Saudi Arabia Strengthen Tourism Cooperation

Indonesian Tourism Minister Widiyanti Putri Wardhana discussed efforts to strengthen tourism cooperation with Saudi Arabia during a meeting with Saudi Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb in Toledo, Spain, on Thursday (11/6). On the sidelines of the 126th Session of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Executive Council, the two ministers also discussed efforts to increase tourist numbers, strengthen bilateral cooperation, and deepen the long-standing relationship between Saudi Arabia and Indonesia. “Saudi Arabia is one of Indonesia’s key partners in the Middle East, and Indonesia is ready to enhance this partnership, particularly in the tourism sector, with a spirit of mutual respect and mutual benefit,” said Putri Wardhana. “We are working closely with our partners in Indonesia to enrich these relations, expand tourism exchanges, increase traveller movement, and create opportunities for our shared destinations, businesses, and communities,” said Al-Khateeb. During the meeting, Putri Wardhana and Al-Khateeb affirmed the importance of the Indonesia-Saudi Arabia tourism partnership and reviewed the progress of the implementation of the ongoing tourism memorandum of understanding. Putri Wardhana and Al-Khateeb then discussed opportunities to increase the number of Indonesian tourists to Saudi Arabia through religious and leisure travel. On the other hand, Indonesia expressed its commitment to welcoming more Saudi tourists, one of the ways being through the planned establishment of an Arab and Hospitality Centre at the Lombok Tourism Polytechnic. This initiative aims to enhance the competence of Indonesian tourism professionals in serving and accommodating Arab tourists. Indonesia and Saudi Arabia are active members of the UNWTO Executive Council, where both continue to push for collective measures to ensure sustainability, resilience, and inclusivity remain at the core of the global tourism sector.