A guide for Riyadh students considering a bachelor’s degree in business with a specialty in Artificial Intelligence, delivered by Kingdom University and powered by Arizona State University (ASU).
Last updated: June 2026
By: The Kingdom University Team
Saudi Arabia’s tourism industry is one of the fastest-growing job markets in the region.Under Vision 2030, the Kingdom is creating thousands of new careers in hospitality, travel, events, aviation, and luxury tourism. If you are a student in Riyadh weighing up what to study, a bachelor’s degree in business with a tourism specialization can put you on a direct path into that industry.
The bachelor’s in business with tourism program at Kingdom University is powered by Arizona State University. The curriculum is identical to the program taught at ASU in the United States, and graduates receive two bachelor’s degrees: one from Kingdom University and one from Arizona State University. This guide covers what the program prepares you for, what those careers pay in Saudi Arabia, and why Kingdom University being powered by ASU matters.
NEOM, the Red Sea Project, Diriyah, AlUla, and Qiddiya are some of the largest tourism developments in the world. Each one needs tourism planners, marketers, event managers, hospitality leaders, and cultural heritage specialists.
Graduates entering the workforce over the next four years will be the ones running these projects. The Saudi Ministry of Tourism has set a target for the sector to contribute 10% of GDP by 2030, up from approximately 5% today, and the workforce needs to grow accordingly.
(Saudi Press Agency, May 2025).
Oversee a hotel's guests, staff, revenue, and brand standards. International hotel groups are expanding rapidly across Riyadh, Jeddah, and the giga-projects, so demand for qualified hotel managers in Saudi Arabia is strong.
Salary: Average SAR 336,125 per year; entry level around SAR 226,885. (ERI SalaryExpert, 2025)
Plan and run conferences, festivals, sports events, and corporate experiences. Event managers in Saudi Arabia work on programs like Riyadh Season, the Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, and global conferences at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center.
Salary: Average SAR 169,127 per year. (ERI SalaryExpert, 2026)
Develop campaigns that bring visitors in, covering digital marketing, brand strategy, social media, and audience research for destinations, hotels, and tour operators.
Salary: Average SAR 317,037 per year; entry level around SAR 171,200. (ERI SalaryExpert, 2026)
Design itineraries, manage supplier networks, and run operations for travel agencies and destination management companies serving inbound tourists.
Salary: Average SAR 256,563 per year. (ERI SalaryExpert, 2025)
Lead day-to-day operations in restaurants, resorts, clubs, and entertainment venues. This role is a common starting point for senior leadership tracks in hospitality.
Salary: Average SAR 144,588 per year. (ERI SalaryExpert, 2026)
Help destinations, hotels, and developers meet environmental and social targets. This role is tied directly to Vision 2030 sustainability commitments and giga-projects like NEOM and the Red Sea Project.
Salary: Average SAR 186,756 per year; entry level around SAR 130,916. (ERI SalaryExpert, 2025)
Design visitor experiences at heritage sites such as Diriyah and AlUla, combining storytelling, operations, and cultural knowledge. A role being built specifically by Saudi Arabia's heritage push.
Salary: Mid-level roles typically pay SAR 144,000 to 240,000 per year, plus housing and transport allowances. (Asanify Hiring Guide, 2025)
Cabin crew, ground operations, in-flight services, and customer experience roles with carriers including Saudia, flyadeal, and Riyadh Air. A strong career path with international travel built in.
Salary: Saudia cabin crew earn approximately SAR 96,000 to 168,000 per year depending on seniority and route mix. (Aviation A2Z, 2026)
Kingdom University is powered by Arizona State University (ASU). That means this program at Kingdom University is the same program taught at Arizona State University in the United States including identical curriculum, learning outcomes, and academic standards.
On graduation, you will receive two bachelor’s degrees: a Bachelor in Business, Tourism from Kingdom University and a Bachelor in Business, Tourism from Arizona State University.
ASU has been named the most innovative university in the United States for eleven consecutive years by U.S. News & World Report (2016 to 2026), ahead of Stanford and MIT. The degree program is designed by the W. P. Carey School of Business at ASU, which is consistently ranked among the top business schools globally. For a hiring manager at a Marriott hotel in Riyadh, a tourism authority in AlUla, or an event company running Riyadh Season, that combination signals training against international standards alongside deep local knowledge.
Kingdom University is based in Riyadh, the city where most of the new tourism jobs are being created. Government tourism authorities, major hotel groups, event companies, and giga- project headquarters are concentrated here. The program is taught in English, which is the working language of the international tourism and hospitality industry.
The curriculum combines business fundamentals (finance, marketing, management, strategy) with tourism-specific subjects including hospitality operations, event management, destination marketing, sustainable tourism, and consumer behavior in travel.
Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector is hiring graduates now. Starting your degree at Kingdom University means graduating into a strong job market in the region, with the qualifications, language skills, and network to compete for the best roles.
