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The Saudi Press Agency reported that Saudi Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb and France’s Minister for Small and Medium Enterprises, Trade, Crafts, Tourism and Purchasing Power Serge Papin signed the joint action program on June 11, 2026 in Toledo, Spain. The signing occurred on the sidelines of the 126th session of the UN Tourism Executive Council where the two sides reviewed their strategic tourism relationship. Officials highlighted tourism’s role in promoting economic growth and prosperity while discussing avenues to deepen ties in sustainable growth, destination competitiveness, investment attraction and knowledge exchange.
The program focuses on developing human capital by means of training programs, strategic workforce planning and best practice exchanges according to the agency. It further aims to advance sustainable tourism development through the sharing of expertise on tourism flow management and the application of natural resources in the hospitality sector. Collaboration between French technology startups and Saudi tourism stakeholders is encouraged along with support for digital solution adoption and attendance at innovation events.
Cooperation in data collection, analysis and the use of artificial intelligence for information processing is also included in the action program. Sharing of know-how in organizing major international events forms another component. The Saudi Tourism Authority and Atout France will expand their partnership in destination marketing and promotional activities the Saudi Press Agency stated.
France stands as the world’s most visited country having welcomed more than 100 million international tourists in 2024 according to UN Tourism data. This positions the new agreement as a link between two of the sector’s leading nations. Saudi Arabia has similarly emerged as a fast-growing destination under its Vision 2030 framework.
The Ministry of Tourism has set a target of attracting 150 million visitors a year by 2030 as part of efforts to diversify the economy away from oil. Such partnerships are expected to aid in achieving that benchmark by transferring knowledge and fostering joint ventures. The joint action program specifically promotes investment cooperation by identifying opportunities and simplifying the formation of partnerships between Saudi and French entities.
