Saudi Arabia’s Tourism Development Fund has launched a new wave of tourism hackathons across eight cities, widening its push to turn local talent, technology and entrepreneurial ideas into market-ready solutions for one of the Kingdom’s fastest-growing non-oil sectors.
The programme will be staged in Riyadh, Makkah, Taif, Qassim, Hail, AlUla, Jeddah and Khobar, giving innovators outside the main business centres a stronger route into the tourism economy. The initiative is designed to attract entrepreneurs, students, developers, designers and early-stage founders who can build practical answers to gaps in visitor experience, hospitality operations, mobility, destination management and tourism services.
The eight-city format marks a broader phase for TDF Grow, the fund’s non-financial enablement arm, after earlier hackathon and bootcamp programmes focused on selected regions and generated dozens of prototypes. A previous cycle drew nearly 300 participants, produced 64 tourism-focused projects and advanced 38 ideas into bootcamps, with finalists receiving access to mentorship, financing pathways and partner networks.
TDF’s latest move comes as Saudi Arabia accelerates its tourism diversification strategy under Vision 2030. The Kingdom has raised its target to 150 million annual visits by 2030 after surpassing its earlier 100 million goal ahead of schedule. Tourist numbers reached more than 120 million in 2025, while total tourism spending climbed to about SR300 billion, strengthening the sector’s role in job creation, regional development and private investment.
The hackathons are expected to focus on solutions that can improve the quality and efficiency of tourism services rather than simply generate ideas for presentation. That emphasis reflects a wider policy shift in Saudi tourism: building a deeper pipeline of local operators, digital platforms, destination-service providers and small businesses capable of supporting large-scale investments in hotels, resorts, heritage sites, events and entertainment districts.
Riyadh offers access to corporate sponsors, investors and technology talent, while Makkah brings direct relevance to religious tourism and crowd-management challenges. Taif has growing potential in mountain tourism, climate-led escapes and seasonal festivals. Qassim and Hail add agricultural, heritage and cultural tourism dimensions. AlUla provides a test case for heritage-led luxury and cultural travel, Jeddah anchors Red Sea leisure and gateway traffic, and Khobar links the programme to the Eastern Province’s business and coastal tourism economy.
TDF’s role has expanded beyond lending and project finance into ecosystem building. Its entrepreneur support programmes include incubators, accelerators, hackathons and bootcamps, with services covering mentorship, advisory support, training, investor access and connections with public and private-sector partners. The aim is to reduce the gap between early ideas and bankable ventures, a common challenge in tourism markets where small operators often lack collateral, technical guidance or distribution channels.
The initiative also responds to structural pressures facing Saudi tourism. Large destination projects require a broad base of supporting businesses in transport, food services, hospitality technology, guided experiences, sustainability management and visitor engagement. Without that supply chain, high-profile investments risk depending too heavily on imported operating models or a narrow group of established companies.
Digital tools are likely to be central to many entries. Tourism operators across the Gulf are using artificial intelligence, data analytics, multilingual service platforms, augmented reality, smart booking systems and payment technology to personalise experiences and raise productivity. For Saudi Arabia, the challenge is to adapt these tools to local culture, language needs, pilgrimage flows, heritage protection and the expectations of international visitors.
Sustainability is another likely theme. Saudi Arabia’s tourism expansion is unfolding alongside scrutiny of water use, environmental protection, carrying capacity and the social impact of rapid destination development. Hackathon teams that can address waste reduction, energy efficiency, responsible visitor flows or community participation may find strong demand from destination authorities and operators seeking practical, low-cost solutions.
The programme’s regional spread also carries labour-market significance. Tourism is expected to generate a large number of jobs by 2030, but skills development must reach beyond Riyadh and Jeddah if the sector is to support balanced economic growth. Hackathons can help identify young talent in smaller cities, expose participants to real business problems and connect them with mentors who understand financing, regulation and commercialisation.
The programme will be staged in Riyadh, Makkah, Taif, Qassim, Hail, AlUla, Jeddah and Khobar, giving innovators outside the main business centres a stronger route into the tourism economy. The initiative is designed to attract entrepreneurs, students, developers, designers and early-stage founders who can build practical answers to gaps in visitor experience, hospitality operations, mobility, destination management and tourism services.
The eight-city format marks a broader phase for TDF Grow, the fund’s non-financial enablement arm, after earlier hackathon and bootcamp programmes focused on selected regions and generated dozens of prototypes. A previous cycle drew nearly 300 participants, produced 64 tourism-focused projects and advanced 38 ideas into bootcamps, with finalists receiving access to mentorship, financing pathways and partner networks.
TDF’s latest move comes as Saudi Arabia accelerates its tourism diversification strategy under Vision 2030. The Kingdom has raised its target to 150 million annual visits by 2030 after surpassing its earlier 100 million goal ahead of schedule. Tourist numbers reached more than 120 million in 2025, while total tourism spending climbed to about SR300 billion, strengthening the sector’s role in job creation, regional development and private investment.
The hackathons are expected to focus on solutions that can improve the quality and efficiency of tourism services rather than simply generate ideas for presentation. That emphasis reflects a wider policy shift in Saudi tourism: building a deeper pipeline of local operators, digital platforms, destination-service providers and small businesses capable of supporting large-scale investments in hotels, resorts, heritage sites, events and entertainment districts.
Riyadh offers access to corporate sponsors, investors and technology talent, while Makkah brings direct relevance to religious tourism and crowd-management challenges. Taif has growing potential in mountain tourism, climate-led escapes and seasonal festivals. Qassim and Hail add agricultural, heritage and cultural tourism dimensions. AlUla provides a test case for heritage-led luxury and cultural travel, Jeddah anchors Red Sea leisure and gateway traffic, and Khobar links the programme to the Eastern Province’s business and coastal tourism economy.
TDF’s role has expanded beyond lending and project finance into ecosystem building. Its entrepreneur support programmes include incubators, accelerators, hackathons and bootcamps, with services covering mentorship, advisory support, training, investor access and connections with public and private-sector partners. The aim is to reduce the gap between early ideas and bankable ventures, a common challenge in tourism markets where small operators often lack collateral, technical guidance or distribution channels.
The initiative also responds to structural pressures facing Saudi tourism. Large destination projects require a broad base of supporting businesses in transport, food services, hospitality technology, guided experiences, sustainability management and visitor engagement. Without that supply chain, high-profile investments risk depending too heavily on imported operating models or a narrow group of established companies.
Digital tools are likely to be central to many entries. Tourism operators across the Gulf are using artificial intelligence, data analytics, multilingual service platforms, augmented reality, smart booking systems and payment technology to personalise experiences and raise productivity. For Saudi Arabia, the challenge is to adapt these tools to local culture, language needs, pilgrimage flows, heritage protection and the expectations of international visitors.
Sustainability is another likely theme. Saudi Arabia’s tourism expansion is unfolding alongside scrutiny of water use, environmental protection, carrying capacity and the social impact of rapid destination development. Hackathon teams that can address waste reduction, energy efficiency, responsible visitor flows or community participation may find strong demand from destination authorities and operators seeking practical, low-cost solutions.
The programme’s regional spread also carries labour-market significance. Tourism is expected to generate a large number of jobs by 2030, but skills development must reach beyond Riyadh and Jeddah if the sector is to support balanced economic growth. Hackathons can help identify young talent in smaller cities, expose participants to real business problems and connect them with mentors who understand financing, regulation and commercialisation.
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Saudi Arabia