Air Connectivity Program

The Air Connectivity Program (ACP) is a program within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s tourism ecosystem, serving as an executive enabler for both the National Tourism Strategy and the National Aviation Strategy. Launched in 2021, the ACP aims to support the growth of the Kingdom's tourism sector by strengthening air connections between the Kingdom and countries around the globe.

The program’s core mission is to elevate air connectivity between the Kingdom and other world countries. This involves expanding existing and potential flight routes and connecting the Kingdom to new destinations. ACP works to achieve integration between the tourism and aviation ecosystems, by linking the ecosystem of stakeholders and relevant entities to achieve the goals of the National Tourism Strategy and to enhance the image of the Kingdom as a leading global tourist destination in the field of air tourism connectivity.

Since its inception, ACP aimed to increase the Kingdom’s annual visitor count to one hundred million by 2030, which was reached in 2023. On March 3, 2024, the Ministry of Tourism celebrated reaching one hundred million tourists, i.e. seven years ahead of schedule. This success has reinforced the new ambition to receive 150 million tourists by 2030.

The Kingdom also achieved a significant increase in international air connectivity rate, advancing fourteen positions to rank thirteenth in 2023 compared to twenty-seventh in 2019, out of a classification that includes about two hundred countries, according to the Air Connectivity Index report issued by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in 2023.

ACP plays a coordinating role in the tourism and aviation sectors, fostering partnerships between key public and private sector stakeholders. This collaboration enriches the visitor experience, enhances competitiveness, and broadens air transport capabilities while balancing supply and demand in both the tourism and aviation sectors. ACP partners are the tourism ecosystem which includes the Ministry of Tourism, the Saudi Tourism Authority, the Saudi Red Sea Authority, the Tourism Development Council, and the Tourism Development Fund. It also includes aviation partners represented by the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), Jeddah Airports Company, Riyadh Airports Company, Dammam Airports Company, Matarat Holding Company, and Cluster2 Airports OpCo, alongside success partners including the Ministry of Finance and the Pilgrim Experience Program.