Shreya Shimpi
What are your thoughts about the inaugural edition of WTM Spotlight Riyadh 2026?
We were incredibly proud yesterday to open the doors to our inaugural edition of WTM Spotlight Riyadh. There has been tremendous excitement across the travel and tourism industry, specifically here in Saudi Arabia, along with a sense of anticipation. This is because we aim to connect Saudi Arabia to the world and the world to Saudi Arabia.
We had some very enthusiastic international buyers who are getting connected with Saudi products, and we’re also seeing the Saudi products creating an equally good connect with the buyers and making valuable meeting exchanges. There is real business happening on the show floor, and the energy on the show floor was palpable. Our strategic partnership with the Ministry of Tourism adds great value to this event. It reinforces our shared ambition of developing a travel trade event which serves as a unique platform for business exchange, creating a valuable connection point and a meeting place within Saudi Arabia.
How does WTM Spotlight Riyadh differ from the other major travel trade events happening in the Middle East?
At RX Global, as the organisers of WTM Spotlight Riyadh, everything we do is driven by one core objective- creating value for the customers who attend our events. From streamlining processes and enabling pre-scheduled appointments to facilitating meaningful connections and collaborations through our event tools, we focus on making every interaction as efficient and valuable as possible. Our efficiency-driven approach encourages exhibitors to exchange contacts and enables visitors to discover and collect information about the products and services that are most relevant to them.
How does this event align with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030?
Vision 2030 is all about tourism transformation, and the launching of WTM Spotlight Riyadh comes at a perfect time. We hope this event aligns with this transformation. The diversification of Saudi Arabia and its significant investment in its infrastructure- from airports to the hospitality offerings is already quite visible. Events like these not only facilitate business exchange but also allow attendees to feel that momentum on the ground and experience it for themselves.
How is WTM Spotlight Riyadh trying to change the perception about Saudi Arabia’s tourism landscape globally?
At RX Global, we work incredibly hard to research, understand and identify the next destination for our WTM brand. Saudi Arabia was the natural choice given its transformation, and the speed at which the transformation of the tourism offering is evolving. That made Saudi Arabia the natural home to launch our event, with Riyadh as the ideal city to host it.
If you had to describe WTM Spotlight Riyadh in one line, what would be your concluding statement?
WTM Spotlight Riyadh is about bringing the world to Saudi Arabia and Saudi Arabia to the world. We want all the attendees to feel the momentum first-hand by attending, exhibiting or visiting our events.
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