Key points
- Autonomous AI to manage entire journeys
- Giga-projects serve as live testing grounds
- Focus on interoperability, safety and governance
ALKHOBAR: Saudi Arabia is positioning its rapidly expanding tourism sector as a testing ground for “agentic” artificial intelligence, as part of broader efforts to modernise services and enhance visitor experiences under Vision 2030.
Rather than focusing solely on personalised recommendations, officials and technology leaders are exploring whether autonomous AI agents can actively manage entire travel journeys. These systems are designed to respond in real time to disruptions, re-plan itineraries, coordinate bookings and complete transactions across airlines, hotels, transport providers and major destination projects, reports Arab News.
Federico Pienovi, chief executive for Asia-Pacific and the Middle East at technology firm Globant, said the shift represents a move away from reactive digital tools towards systems capable of taking action independently. He described the approach as “autonomous journey orchestration”, where AI agents operate across the full visitor lifecycle, from booking to departure.
Large-scale tourism developments
Saudi Arabia’s giga-projects, including large-scale tourism developments along the Red Sea and in the Kingdom’s heritage and entertainment zones, are being positioned as live testing environments for these technologies. The aim is to integrate AI seamlessly across public and private platforms, reducing friction for visitors while allowing staff to focus more on hospitality and service.
Supporters argue that tourism is particularly suited to agentic AI, as journeys often involve multiple companies and physical locations rather than a single provider.
The shift is not intended to replace workers, but to automate administrative burdens so human staff can focus on meaningful interactions with visitors. Training and talent development would be critical to sustaining large-scale AI deployment.
As other emerging tourism markets observe closely, Saudi Arabia’s experiment could shape how advanced AI systems are adopted globally. The success of these initiatives may determine whether agentic AI becomes an operational backbone of tourism, rather than remaining a concept showcased at technology forums.
