Football star Lionel Messi returns to promote Saudi Arabia as a tourism destination in a campaign that says it wants to break down “walls” of “misconception” and break “outdated stereotypes.” The campaign called “Go Beyond What You Think” highlights the transformative power of travel.
In 2023, Messi shared photos from his trip to Diriyah in Saudi Arabia, as part of his contractual obligations tied to his partnership with the country’s tourism authority. The deal could earn him $25 million over three years, according to a report in the New York Times.
Saudi Arabia has a bold $800 billion plan to reimagine and reshape the country as a tourism hub in the Middle East, with new roads, airports, golf courses, cruise terminals and cities rising from the sand.
It’s part of…