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STARTING a working visit to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in conjunction with the UN General Assembly on Tourism, Minister of Tourism Widiyanti Putri Wardhana held a bilateral meeting with the Minister of Tourism of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Ahmed Aqeel Al Khateeb.
During the meeting, which took place in Riyadh on Saturday (11/08), 2025, Widiyanti expressed her appreciation for the strong bilateral relationship between Indonesia and Saudi Arabia. She emphasized that this relationship, based on brotherhood and trust, is an important foundation for strengthening cooperation in the tourism sector between the two countries.
“We discussed the potential for tourist exchanges between Indonesia and Saudi Arabia. Indonesia is one of the countries with the largest number of pilgrims and Umrah pilgrims to Saudi Arabia. We hope that Saudi Arabia will also send more tourists to Indonesia, a tropical country rich in natural beauty and culture, especially during the long holiday season,” said Widiyanti.
This first bilateral meeting served as a crucial opportunity for Indonesia to affirm its commitment to following through on the previously formulated Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on tourism. The MoU covers three priority sectors: human resource development, increasing tourist arrivals, and tourism investment in both countries.
The Minister of Tourism of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Ahmed Aqeel Al Khateeb, welcomed Indonesia’s initiative. He emphasized the Saudi Arabian government’s commitment to supporting and actively participating in realizing cooperation in these three strategic sectors.
The United Nations Tourism General Assembly (UNTGA) is the UN General Assembly’s forum on tourism, held every two years. This year, the event will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from November 8–11, 2025.
UN Tourism is a UN agency with 160 member states and plays a key role in guiding global policy in the tourism sector. Previously, Minister of Tourism Widiyanti Putri Wardhana paid a working visit to London, England, from November 3–7, 2025, to attend the World Travel Market (WTM) London 2025.
On that occasion, the Ministry of Tourism launched the “Wonderful Indonesia: Go Beyond Ordinary” campaign, featuring 27 iconic London black taxis, adorned with Indonesian tourism promotional designs, which will operate for eight weeks in the British capital. [traveltext.id]
