The fifth annual Kingdom Business & Luxury Travel (KBLT) Congress opens at the Mövenpick Hotel and Residences Riyadh on September 6–7, 2026, bringing together more than 100 pre-qualified Saudi buyers and leading international travel brands as the Kingdom's outbound luxury market continues its rapid expansion.
Saudi outbound tourism spending is projected to exceed $30.7
billion (SAR 115 billion) in 2026, driven by an estimated 12.3 million
international outbound trips.
The country's luxury travel segment, valued at approximately
$13.5 billion this year, is forecast to surpass $25 billion by 2033.
Against this backdrop, KBLT's Advisory Board says Saudi
luxury travellers are becoming increasingly sophisticated, moving beyond
traditional five-star offerings toward highly personalised, authentic and
experience-led travel.
Sulaiman Al-Romi, Chairman of the KBLT Congress Advisory
Board and Chairman & CEO of Gulf Reps, Saudi Premier Travel & Tourism
Group, said the Congress has evolved alongside the market.
"KBLT has evolved from a gathering into a truly
international congress with unprecedented global demand and high attendance
interest. This growth mirrors the remarkable transformation of Saudi Arabia's
outbound luxury travel market, which has matured rapidly. Saudi luxury travellers
are now among the most discerning and sought-after globally."
Al-Romi said the biggest change is not simply higher
spending, but rising expectations. "The most significant shift is the
transition from conventional luxury to curated, purpose-driven, and highly
personalized experiences. Today's Saudi luxury and business travellers seek
cultural immersion, wellness, privacy, and seamless bespoke services. They are
well-travelled, digitally savvy, and place great value on authenticity and
exclusivity rather than just standardized five-star amenities."
The shift is also reflected in Saudi Arabia's growing
tourism proposition.
Waleed Bin Huzaim, Strategic Communication &
International Protocol Consultant to the Government Sector in KSA, said the
country's tourism narrative is increasingly moving from future ambitions to
tangible experiences.
"A few years ago, much of Saudi Arabia's tourism
communication was about presenting the ambition and showing the world what the
Kingdom was planning to build. Today, the story is different. Many of those
ambitions have become real experiences that visitors can see and enjoy for
themselves … This represents an important shift in Saudi tourism communication:
from talking about ambition to inviting the world to experience it."
For destinations seeking to capture Saudi demand, the
opportunity lies in creating products around the traveller's desired experience
rather than simply selling accommodation.
Daniel Ponzo, Managing Director of Zahid Travel Group, KSA,
said: "Saudi travellers are
increasingly choosing destinations based on the experience narrative, not just
hotel brand but authentic moments … Many destinations still sell rooms and
itineraries rather than curated experiences. They underestimate how much Saudi
Travellers value discretion, flexible schedule and genuinely bespoke service.
There is still a gap in destinations building product specifically for this
segment."
Ponzo summarised the market's transformation: "Saudi
luxury travellers have moved from wanting the best hotel to wanting the best
story. Destinations that understand this shift will be the ones winning this
market over the next decade."
Sidh NC, Director of QnA International, said KBLT's growth
reflects the importance of the Saudi outbound market and the increasing
sophistication of its travellers.
"Every edition of KBLT has grown alongside the market
it serves, and this year is no exception. What started as a platform for
connecting Saudi buyers with global travel brands has become one of the most
closely watched luxury travel gatherings in the region. The Saudi outbound
traveller is more sophisticated and more demanding than ever, and this edition
is about making sure the destinations and brands in the room are ready to meet
that."
With Saudi Arabia emerging as a major global luxury outbound
market, KBLT 2026 is positioned as a meeting point between the country's
travel-trade leadership and international destinations competing for Saudi
business.
Over two days in Riyadh, the Congress aims to turn a deeper understanding of the Saudi traveller into direct commercial relationships and partnerships. -TradeArabia News Service
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