SAUDI ARABIA. Paris Saint Germain and Argentina footballer Lionel Messi visited Jeddah this week after the Saudi Tourism Authority named the high-profile star as its official brand ambassador.
The appointment of one of the world’s best-known sports celebrities to promote tourism underlines the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s highly ambitious plans to grow the value of the sector in the country.
Messi – who flew into Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International Airport on Monday for his official unveiling in the ambassadorial role – has become an icon in the football world after more than 20 years on the books of Barcelona and scoring more than 750 senior career goals for club and country.
