كنت محباً البدء بعنونة المقالة بجملة «رحلة الضيافة السعودية».. كمشروع لاستعادة الثقة بالهوية المحلية.. ولأنه عنوان به تلخيص الفكرة، وجدت نفسي أخلق التمهيد لذلك من خلال حقيقة تثبت أنه لا تنشأ الهويات الكبرى من فراغ، ولا تولد من فجوة بين الماضي والحاضر، بل تتشكل عبر تراكمات رمزية، وسلوكيات متجذرة، وقيم يُعاد صياغتها في كل حقبة بلغة تتماشى مع روحها، ومن بين هذه القيم المتجذرة في الوجدان السعودي، تبرز الضيافة لا بوصفها سلوكاً اجتماعياً عابراً، بل كهوية أصيلة ورافعة حضارية، تكتب بها المملكة اليوم أحد أكثر فصولها نضجاً في سردية التحول الوطني.
وانطلاقاً مما سبق، لا يمكن اعتبار مشروع «رحلة الضيافة السعودية»، الذي أُطلق مؤخراً يعد مبادرة فندقية محضة، ولا تحركاً تجارياً يحاكي السوق من زاوية التنافس، بل هو تجسيد دقيق لتحول ثقافي عميق، تنقله السعودية من العفوية المحلية إلى الاحتراف العالمي، دون أن تفقد فيه حرارة الترحاب، ولا نكهة القهوة الأولى.
تعمل المملكة، في سياق رؤيتها 2030، على إعادة تعريف القطاعات التقليدية كمجالات إستراتيجية، لا من خلال السياسات فقط، بل عبر بناء هوية متماسكة ومتفردة لكل قطاع، والسياحة بوصفها صناعة ناعمة، باتت اليوم تختزن الأبعاد الاقتصادية والثقافية والدبلوماسية، ومعها تحولت الضيافة إلى واجهة وطنية تروّج للسعودية دون أن تنطق حرفاً.
هنا بالضبط، تأتي أهمية المشروع، الذي لا يُقدّم «منتج إقامة»، بل يُقدّم سردية متكاملة، بدءاً من استقبال الضيوف إلى مغادرتهم، حيث تتحدث الجدران، وتهمس الروائح، وتعبّر الأزياء، وتُحكى القصص من خلال النكهات، والتراحيب، والنغمات، والروائح العطرية، وهي تجربة تذوب فيها الحواس لتستيقظ في وجدان الزائر ذاكرة لا تُنسى.
ومن اللافت أن المشروع لم يأتِ كتصميم خارجي مستورد، بل كمحصلة لممارسات تراثية أُعيدت صياغتها داخل منظومة، ومن الجميل هنا، أن المشروع استعان بنخبة من الكفاءات السعودية، في الطهي والعطور والموسيقى والأزياء، لماذا؟؛ لإنتاج نموذج سعودي خالص، يثبت أن التقاليد يمكن أن تكون تنافسية إذا ما أُعيد تقديمها بلغة السوق العالمية دون المساس بجوهرها.
إن استخدام مصطلح «الرحلة» في عنوان المشروع لم يكن عفوياً؛ فالمقصود هنا ليس فقط انتقال الضيف من لحظة إلى أخرى، بل انتقال المملكة نفسها من طور الضيافة بوصفها «واجباً اجتماعياً»، إلى الضيافة بوصفها علامة وطنية قابلة للتصدير، ومجالاً معرفياً يمكن تدريسه واستثماره واستدامته.
وعند الخوض في فهم تفاصيل مشروع «رحلة الضيافة السعودية»، من المهم الوعي، بأنه لا يكتفي بتقديم الضيافة بوصفها منتجاً أو تجربة حسية، بل يُبنى من الداخل على تمكين الكفاءات الوطنية، وتهيئة البيئة لاستقطاب الكفاءات الوطنية داخل المجموعة، بما يواكب إستراتيجية سوق العمل السعودي، ويعزز من مستهدفات التوطين في القطاعات الخدمية عالية التأثير.
ويتماهى المشروع في أبعاده مع برامج وطنية مثل: جودة الحياة، والإستراتيجية الوطنية للثقافة، وتنمية القدرات البشرية، ليكون نموذجاً حياً لتكامل الرؤية بين القطاع الخاص والمستهدفات الوطنية الكبرى، فالضيافة - بالنسبة لنا - ليست أريكة فاخرة أو وجبة دافئة، بل أداة اتصال غير لفظي، تُخبر الضيف بأنه في وطنٍ لا يكتفي باستقباله، بل يروي له تاريخه من خلال التفاصيل، ففي الملبس تختبئ الجغرافيا، وفي القهوة تنطق العادات، وفي الموسيقى تتجلى اللهجات، وفي العطور تستحضر الذاكرة المجتمعية برمتها.
وهنا تتجلّى عبقرية التوجه السعودي في القطاع السياحي، الذي لا يكتفي بجذب الزوار عبر البنية التحتية، بل يُراهن على «الذاكرة العاطفية» كأداة جذب مستدامة، فالزائر الذي يُحاط بتجربة إنسانية أصيلة، لا يعود كسائح فقط، بل كناقل للرسالة، وشريك في الترويج، وامتداد للصورة.
نحن أمام مشروع لا يقف عند جدران الفنادق، بل يُعيد ترتيب علاقة الإنسان السعودي بزائره، ويحوّل القيم غير المادية إلى قيمة مضافة في الاقتصاد والتواصل والمكانة، وهي لحظة تحول لا تُقاس بعدد الأسرّة المحجوزة، بل بعدد القصص التي سيحملها الزوار عن المملكة.
في المحصلة النهائية، فإن «رحلة الضيافة السعودية»، هي بداية لمشروع وطني أعمق: مشروع استعادة الثقة بالهوية المحلية بوصفها منتجاً عالمياً، ومشروع تفكيك الفجوة بين الأصالة والعولمة، وفتح باب جديد لتاريخ يُروى ليس بالكلمات، بل بالحواس.
تابع قناة عكاظ على الواتساب
I loved starting the article with the phrase "The Journey of Saudi Hospitality" as a project to restore confidence in local identity. Since it is a title that summarizes the idea, I found myself creating a preamble for it through a fact that proves that great identities do not emerge from a void, nor are they born from a gap between the past and the present; rather, they are shaped through symbolic accumulations, deeply rooted behaviors, and values that are redefined in each era in a language that aligns with its spirit. Among these values deeply rooted in the Saudi psyche, hospitality stands out not merely as a fleeting social behavior but as an authentic identity and a civilizational lever, with which the Kingdom today writes one of its most mature chapters in the narrative of national transformation.
Based on the above, the "Journey of Saudi Hospitality" project, recently launched, cannot be considered a purely hotel initiative or a commercial movement mimicking the market from a competitive angle; rather, it is an accurate embodiment of a profound cultural transformation, as Saudi Arabia transitions from local spontaneity to global professionalism, without losing the warmth of welcome or the flavor of the first coffee.
The Kingdom, in the context of its Vision 2030, is working to redefine traditional sectors as strategic fields, not only through policies but also by building a cohesive and unique identity for each sector. Tourism, as a soft industry, has today become a repository of economic, cultural, and diplomatic dimensions, and with it, hospitality has transformed into a national facade that promotes Saudi Arabia without uttering a word.
Here lies the importance of the project, which does not offer a "hospitality product" but presents a comprehensive narrative, starting from welcoming guests to their departure, where walls speak, scents whisper, attire expresses, and stories are told through flavors, greetings, tones, and aromatic scents. It is an experience where the senses dissolve to awaken in the visitor a memory that is unforgettable.
It is noteworthy that the project did not come as an imported external design but as a result of heritage practices that have been redefined within a system. It is beautiful here that the project has enlisted a select group of Saudi talents in cooking, perfumes, music, and fashion. Why? To produce a purely Saudi model that proves traditions can be competitive if re-presented in the language of the global market without compromising their essence.
The use of the term "journey" in the project title was not accidental; what is meant here is not just the guest's transition from one moment to another but the Kingdom's own transition from hospitality as a "social duty" to hospitality as a national brand that can be exported and a field of knowledge that can be taught, invested in, and sustained.
When delving into the details of the "Journey of Saudi Hospitality" project, it is important to be aware that it does not merely present hospitality as a product or sensory experience; rather, it is built from within on empowering national competencies and preparing the environment to attract national talents within the group, in line with the strategy of the Saudi labor market and enhancing localization targets in high-impact service sectors.
The project aligns in its dimensions with national programs such as: Quality of Life, the National Culture Strategy, and Human Capacity Development, to be a living model of the integration of the vision between the private sector and major national targets. For us, hospitality is not just a luxurious sofa or a warm meal; it is a non-verbal communication tool that tells the guest that they are in a homeland that does not merely welcome them but narrates its history through details. In clothing, geography hides; in coffee, customs speak; in music, dialects manifest; and in perfumes, the entire community memory is evoked.
Here, the genius of the Saudi approach in the tourism sector is evident, which does not merely rely on attracting visitors through infrastructure but bets on "emotional memory" as a sustainable attraction tool. The visitor who is surrounded by an authentic human experience does not return merely as a tourist but as a bearer of the message, a partner in promotion, and an extension of the image.
We are faced with a project that does not stop at the walls of hotels but rearranges the relationship between the Saudi person and their visitor, transforming intangible values into added value in economy, communication, and status. It is a transformative moment that cannot be measured by the number of booked beds but by the number of stories that visitors will carry about the Kingdom.
In the final analysis, the "Journey of Saudi Hospitality" is the beginning of a deeper national project: a project to restore confidence in local identity as a global product, a project to dismantle the gap between authenticity and globalization, and to open a new door to a history that is narrated not through words but through the senses.
Based on the above, the "Journey of Saudi Hospitality" project, recently launched, cannot be considered a purely hotel initiative or a commercial movement mimicking the market from a competitive angle; rather, it is an accurate embodiment of a profound cultural transformation, as Saudi Arabia transitions from local spontaneity to global professionalism, without losing the warmth of welcome or the flavor of the first coffee.
The Kingdom, in the context of its Vision 2030, is working to redefine traditional sectors as strategic fields, not only through policies but also by building a cohesive and unique identity for each sector. Tourism, as a soft industry, has today become a repository of economic, cultural, and diplomatic dimensions, and with it, hospitality has transformed into a national facade that promotes Saudi Arabia without uttering a word.
Here lies the importance of the project, which does not offer a "hospitality product" but presents a comprehensive narrative, starting from welcoming guests to their departure, where walls speak, scents whisper, attire expresses, and stories are told through flavors, greetings, tones, and aromatic scents. It is an experience where the senses dissolve to awaken in the visitor a memory that is unforgettable.
It is noteworthy that the project did not come as an imported external design but as a result of heritage practices that have been redefined within a system. It is beautiful here that the project has enlisted a select group of Saudi talents in cooking, perfumes, music, and fashion. Why? To produce a purely Saudi model that proves traditions can be competitive if re-presented in the language of the global market without compromising their essence.
The use of the term "journey" in the project title was not accidental; what is meant here is not just the guest's transition from one moment to another but the Kingdom's own transition from hospitality as a "social duty" to hospitality as a national brand that can be exported and a field of knowledge that can be taught, invested in, and sustained.
When delving into the details of the "Journey of Saudi Hospitality" project, it is important to be aware that it does not merely present hospitality as a product or sensory experience; rather, it is built from within on empowering national competencies and preparing the environment to attract national talents within the group, in line with the strategy of the Saudi labor market and enhancing localization targets in high-impact service sectors.
The project aligns in its dimensions with national programs such as: Quality of Life, the National Culture Strategy, and Human Capacity Development, to be a living model of the integration of the vision between the private sector and major national targets. For us, hospitality is not just a luxurious sofa or a warm meal; it is a non-verbal communication tool that tells the guest that they are in a homeland that does not merely welcome them but narrates its history through details. In clothing, geography hides; in coffee, customs speak; in music, dialects manifest; and in perfumes, the entire community memory is evoked.
Here, the genius of the Saudi approach in the tourism sector is evident, which does not merely rely on attracting visitors through infrastructure but bets on "emotional memory" as a sustainable attraction tool. The visitor who is surrounded by an authentic human experience does not return merely as a tourist but as a bearer of the message, a partner in promotion, and an extension of the image.
We are faced with a project that does not stop at the walls of hotels but rearranges the relationship between the Saudi person and their visitor, transforming intangible values into added value in economy, communication, and status. It is a transformative moment that cannot be measured by the number of booked beds but by the number of stories that visitors will carry about the Kingdom.
In the final analysis, the "Journey of Saudi Hospitality" is the beginning of a deeper national project: a project to restore confidence in local identity as a global product, a project to dismantle the gap between authenticity and globalization, and to open a new door to a history that is narrated not through words but through the senses.


