As global hotel groups, tourism boards and luxury brands compete for a share of Saudi Arabia’s growing outbound travel market, industry leaders are being urged to rethink traditional approaches to luxury.
Sulaiman Al Romi, Chairman of the Advisory Board Committee
for the Kingdom Business & Luxury Travel Congress (KBLT), says
international brands must move beyond visible displays of luxury and focus
instead on privacy, cultural understanding, trust and highly discreet service.
"Security for Saudi VIP travellers extends far beyond
physical safety," Al Romi said. "It encompasses cultural assurance,
social respect, and strict privacy protection. International suppliers often
underestimate this by equating luxury with visibility or excess, whereas Saudi travellers
value subtlety, anticipation, discretion, and understated excellence."
His comments come ahead of the 5th Annual Kingdom Business
& Luxury Travel Congress (KBLT) 2026, which will take place on 6–7
September 2026 at the Mövenpick Hotel and Residences Riyadh in Saudi Arabia.
The congress brings together luxury travel leaders, tourism
boards, hoteliers and other industry stakeholders to examine the changing
expectations of Saudi travellers and the strategies brands need to build
long-term loyalty.
Discretion over display
According to Al Romi, many international operators continue
to rely on grand gestures, highly visible service and spectacle when targeting
luxury travellers.
For Saudi clients, however, the strongest experiences are
often those that remain largely unseen.
Service that anticipates needs without being intrusive,
staff who understand cultural context and experiences designed around restraint
can be more valuable than overt displays of extravagance.
The shift also extends to personalisation, with Al Romi
highlighting the importance of balancing sophisticated service with privacy and
responsible data use.
"For high-profile Saudi travelers, personalisation must
be built on trust, restraint, and controlled data use," he said. "The
future lies in closed ecosystems, trusted service teams, and technologies that
enhance the experience without increasing digital footprint or public
visibility."
A younger, more experience-driven market
Al Romi also points to the changing profile of Saudi
outbound travellers.
The new generation is younger and more informed, with
interests increasingly focused on wellness, gastronomy and meaningful cultural
experiences rather than traditional status symbols.
This evolution is encouraging destinations and luxury
operators worldwide to develop more tailored offerings, including
Arabic-speaking service teams, curated experiences and privacy-focused
services.
For brands, the opportunity is significant, but success
depends on moving beyond generic luxury packages and developing a deeper
understanding of Saudi travellers’ expectations.
These issues will be explored at KBLT 2026, where
discussions will cover cultural intelligence, privacy, cybersecurity,
sustainability, seamless service and trust-based luxury partnerships.
As Chairman of the Advisory Board Committee, Al Romi will help lead the discussions, with KBLT positioning itself as a platform for global brands seeking to develop stronger and more lasting relationships with Saudi Arabia’s luxury travel market. -TradeArabia News Service