Lionel Messi to visit Saudi Arabia this month

RIYADH: Argentine football great Lionel Messi will arrive in Saudi Arabia later this month to explore the Kingdom’s touristic attractions.

Ahmed Al-Khateeb, Saudi Arabia’s tourism minister, welcomed the PSG player and his family in a tweet on Wednesday.

“I am happy to welcome our tourism Ambassador and star Lionel Messi and his family and friends this month, on his second visit to Saudi, to enjoy the most beautiful tourism destinations, connect with our people and enjoy a unique experience,” Al-Khateeb wrote.

Messi visited the Kingdom last May for Jeddah Season, an annual festival in the coastal city of Jeddah, posting an image of himself on a boat watching the sun setting over the Red Sea. He also toured parts of Jeddah’s old city, a heritage site.

Messi, considered one of the legend’s of the sport, won the World Cup with Argentina in Qatar last year. He has a large international fanbase with hundreds of millions of followers on social media.

The Argentine is an ambassador with Visit Saudi, the tourism ministry’s promotional brand.

The ministry is tasked with showcasing Saudi Arabia’s natural and cultural treasures to international and domestic tourists as part of reforms known as Saudi Vision 2030.