From wonderful wildlife to family fun, Lionel Messi discovers diverse, surprising Saudi

Returning to Saudi for a well-earned holiday just months after captaining Argentina’s national football team to a World Cup win, Lionel Messi explored Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh, and its surroundings – this time with his family, wife Antonella Roccuzzo and sons Mateo and Ciro, in tow.

The international footballing hero and Paris Saint-Germain striker was greeted with a warm Saudi welcome, known as ‘Hafawa’, as they absorbed the region’s ancient cultural heritage, kicked back at Riyadh’s local hangouts and came face-to-face with extraordinary indigenous animal species.

They began their holiday with a visit to the 300-year-old UNESCO World Heritage site At-Turaif in Diriyah – a historic mudbrick settlement dating back to the 15^th Century. Their hosts offered to dress Antonella in a traditional Saudi headpiece called ‘hama’ to match with the location, a symbol of celebration that is most commonly worn by women in the Najdi region.

Sharing in tales from traditional Bedouin history and learning about the prominence of the Arabian horse, as well as how birds of prey were hunted for subsistence throughout history, the Messis had the opportunity to interact with purebred steeds and the white falcon that still inhabits the area. Meanwhile, a trip to a working farm outside of the city introduced them to the traditional art of palm-weaving under the iconic landscape of date palms, a symbol of prosperity in Saudi culture.

Together with its pristine landscapes, Saudi is known for its proactive conservation efforts – in particular, restoring numbers of the indigenous Arabian gazelle that was once close to extinction. The young family even had the opportunity to meet and feed a selection of habituated gazelles, happy in the knowledge that 650 Arabian gazelles and 550 sand gazelles were released into the wilds of the AlUla reserve earlier this year, thanks to a comprehensive rewilding and protection programme.

Back in the city, Messi spent quality time with sons, Mateo and Ciro, at Riyadh’s most popular entertainment districts. The family sampled the best of Saudi’s unique Arabian flavours at local and Michelin Star eateries and enjoyed the animated arcades and family enternatinment on offer at Boulevard Riyadh City.

Saudi Arabia’s vibrant capital is now home to eight million people, and widely acknowledged as one of the Top 50 Safest Cities in the World according to the Economist Intelligence Unit. Away from the metropolis, a year-round destination awaits – from the iconic desert sands and the lush temperate highlands of Asir to the colourful underwater sanctuary of the pristine 1,700km Red Sea coast. In addition, six treasured UNESCO world heritage sites share tales of the region’s deep-rooted history and culture, including the oasis of Al-Ahsa, where sand-stone hamlets lay hidden among sprawling palm groves, Jeddah’s historic old town, Al-Balad, and At-Turaif in Diriyah – the original home of the Al Saud dynasty.

This year Saudi Arabia introduced a free-of-charge Stopover Visa, allowing holidaymakers to visit the country for up to 96 hours. Guests who have booked with SAUDIA will also be entitled to a complimentary one-night hotel stay. With more flights available from nations across the world and a simplified online eVisa process available to visitors from 49 eligible countries, there has never been a better time to follow in Messi’s footsteps.

For more information on the Messi experience visit www.visitsaudi.com/en/Messi