Saudi Tourism Goes Global With Cristiano Ronaldo In “Unreal Calendar” Push

• Launch date Sept 2, 2025: STA debuts the “Unreal Calendar” campaign starring Cristiano Ronaldo under its consumer brand “Saudi, Welcome to Arabia.”
• Tagline: “I Came for Football, I Stayed For More.” Global rollout spans Europe, India, and China with multilingual video and social assets narrated by Ronaldo.
• Goal: Shift perceptions beyond football to culture, heritage, festivals, and mega-events; part of Saudi’s Vision 2030 tourism drive.
• Official touchpoint: VisitSaudi landing featuring Ronaldo and year-round events.

Saudi Tourism kicked off a global push anchored by Cristiano Ronaldo, unveiling the “Unreal Calendar” campaign that promises visitors more than match days. Branded under “Saudi, Welcome to Arabia,” the launch includes a hero spot and a tagline—“I Came for Football, I Stayed For More”—to spotlight experiences from heritage sites to concerts and desert adventures.

The media plan spans Europe, India, and China, with Ronaldo fronting multilingual ads and social content that map a packed calendar of sports and cultural events across Riyadh, Jeddah, AlUla, and beyond. A dedicated VisitSaudi destination folds in itineraries and upcoming festivals to convert curiosity into trips.

Context: Tourism is central to Vision 2030’s diversification strategy, with Saudi investing heavily in destinations and reporting 100 million visits in 2023 (mostly domestic and pilgrimage). Tapping Ronaldo’s global reach aims to nudge more international leisure travelers to view Saudi as a year-round stop, not just a football pilgrimage.