Pilgrim Experience Program (PEP): Saudi Vision 2030’s PEP released its 2025 Annual Report, “Honor and Impact,” saying it ran 87 initiatives with 60+ partners and hit 100% compliance, while welcoming 19.5M international pilgrims and Umrah performers (18.03M Umrah performers, 1.5M pilgrims) and reporting high satisfaction (Hajj at 91%). Holy-city hotel push: Accor is doubling down on Makkah and Madinah, citing religious tourism as a buffer as broader Gulf demand cools; it already has 15,000+ keys across 15 hotels and says 8,000 more are in the pipeline. New entertainment in Abha: SEVEN (Qiddiya) will open SEVEN Abha on Aug 5, its first Aseer entertainment destination, built around an “arrive in Aseer” visitor journey and part of a plan for 14 entertainment sites nationwide. Night-sky luxury: Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, became one of the first resorts to earn DarkSky Approved Resort certification, aiming to protect the Red Sea night environment through smarter lighting. Hajj/Umrah operations tightening: Saudi Arabia is moving to reduce the number of Hajj/Umrah operators while raising standards, with updated operational requirements for foreign Umrah companies aligned to new Hajj rules. Dates tourism: The Buraidah International Dates Carnival opened in Al Qassim and runs until Oct 14, spotlighting Saudi dates and adding cultural and tourism activities.