iPhone | iPad
Android
Huawei
Blaise Diagne airport says 78 passengers were on board Transair-owned Boeing 737-300 chartered by Air Senegal
KT APPDOWNLOAD
Look: Lionel Messi visits Saudi Arabia for family holiday, marvels at greenery, wildlife
The football megastar is Saudi's tourism ambassador, and has already visited the Kingdom several times before
Photos: Ahmed Al Khateeb/Twitter
Football superstar Lionel Messi is currently in Saudi Arabia, enjoying a family holiday with wife Antonela Roccuzzo and his children. The World Cup winner arrived in the Kingdom on Monday, sharing an image of Saudi Arabia's "unexpected wonders" with his over 450 million Instagram followers.
"Who thought Saudi has so much green?", he captioned the photo of a lush canopy of trees, adding how much he "love[s] to explore" the Kingdom whenever he can.
The kingdom's Minister of Tourism, Ahmed Al Khateeb, also took to Twitter to welcome the Argentinian footballer to Saudi, sharing heartwarming images of Messi with his family as they enjoyed various activities together.
"I am happy to welcome #Messi and his family to Saudi to enjoy the magical tourist destinations and authentic experiences", Al Khateeb captioned the photos. "We welcome visitors from all around the world to experience a unique trip to Saudi Arabia and its hospitality."
Later, the minister shared pictures of the football legend and his family's visit to the historic town of Diriyah in the Kingdom, where they got another taste of traditional Saudi hospitality.
Messi can be seen posing with local Saudi men, women and children, a big smile on his face.
In another photo, Antonela looks at her husband, dressed in loose, comfortable clothes and donning Arab head jewellery.
A beautiful family photo shows the power couple and their two sons enjoying the company of a horse, touching its face gently.
This is not the first time the megastar has visited in the kingdom – Messi is Saudi Arabia's tourism ambassador, and landed in Jeddah in May 2022, accompanied by a group of friends, to a rousing reception.
Former Al-Hilal and Saudi national team forward Sami Al-Jaber welcomed the move, stating “It is a very distinguished and unique step to have Messi as an ambassador for Saudi Tourism."
Last month, the Argentinian footballer was also reportedly offered a stunning €400 million a year to play for Saudi club Al Hilal, according to celebrated Italian football journalist Fabrizio Romano. But Messi, according to the Italian journalist, was keen on playing for another club in Europe.
"Leo’s absolute priority: continue in Europe," Romano wrote on social media.
ALSO READ:
More news from World
Navjeet Singh Sandhu, 22, was killed while attempting to mediate in a fight
The airline would be operating 292 flights today, with additional support from Air India on 20 routes
The first Haj departure and five other international flights have been delayed
The Consulate General of India in Chicago said it was in touch with the police and Indian diaspora to locate Rupesh Chandra Chintakindi
More than 90 international and domestic flights were delayed or cancelled after mass sick leave by the airline's cabin crew
Al-Najjar, one of the three hospitals in Rafah, is no longer functioning due to the ongoing hostilities in the vicinity and the military operation in Rafah
He was reportedly shooting visuals of wild elephants crossing a river in Palakkad