Saudi Tourism Authority and JCB partnership aims to boost Japanese tourism in Saudi

Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) and JCB International Co., Ltd. (JCB) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 15th October 2023 aimed at boosting tourism in Saudi among JCB cardmembers globally – in particular among Japanese tourists.

This partnership signifies an important step in enhancing tourism, facilitating travel, and fostering greater cultural exchange between Saudi and Japan.

Alhasan Aldabbagh, President of Asia Pacific Markets at Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) enthused "we are thrilled to partner with JCB International, a global leader in payment and technology. This is a great opportunity for our tourism industry, as it will offer more convenience, familiarity, and security for Japanese travellers and other Asian tourists who prefer to use cashless payment methods. We believe this collaboration will enhance the appeal of Saudi as a destination for international visitors and support our vision of becoming a leading global tourism hub."

The partnership with JCB is anticipated to unlock various opportunities for cooperation between Saudi and Japan. Notably, Japan is one of the 57 countries eligible for Saudi's e-visa and visa on arrival, with special benefits such as a free one-night hotel stay for tourists flying onwards on SAUDIA as part of Saudi's 96-hour Stopover Visa program.

Other key initiatives include VisitSaudi.ja portal in Japanese and joint marketing campaigns with leading travel trade partners to create excitement all year round. Japanese holidaymakers can also take advantage of special hotel offers from local Destination Management Companies (DMC), with attractive deals inviting them to discover the true home of Arabia on their terms.

Yoshiki Kaneko, President and Chief Executive of JCB International Co., Ltd, expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership sharing "This is a great chance for us to promote exciting travel experiences to Saudi for our cardmembers. Like Japan, Saudi is a truly unique destination, with fascinating nature, culture and history."

He added "we've been working closely with the leading local banks in Saudi such as SNB, Alinma Bank, Riyad Bank, ANB, and Bank Al Jazira on merchant and ATM enablement to ensure JCB's 154 million card members enjoy a seamless experience in Saudi."

Saudi Tourism Authority (STA), launched in June 2020, is responsible for marketing Saudi's tourism destinations worldwide and developing the destination's offering through programs, packages and business support.

JCB is a major global payment brand and a leading credit card issuer and acquirer in Japan. JCB launched its card business in Japan in 1961 and began expanding worldwide in 1981. Its acceptance network includes about 43 million merchants around the world. JCB Cards are issued mainly in Asian countries and territories, with more than 154 million cardmembers.