HiHome, a Saudi platform for meals and cultural visits in private homes and farms, lets hosts set prices while recommending small groups, placing household time and hospitality at the center of its paid tourism offer.
The company recommends that hosts charge SAR 250 to SAR 500 per person. HiHome's FAQ says visits average three hours and recommends no more than four guests per host. Hosts decide when to welcome visitors and may ask relatives or friends to help. HiHome says it adds 33% to the price set by each host, with guests paying the final amount. Visitors are invited to share a traditional meal at a home or farm.
By attaching a stated price to a home visit, HiHome is packaging hospitality as a tourism service. Its recommendations keep the experience small, with a suggested limit on the number of guests each host receives.
HiHome founder Nourah Alsadoun told Gulf News that a visit to a family home in Cuba inspired the idea. Her father hosted the platform's first experience, she said. Alsadoun also told the outlet that some hosts initially felt uncomfortable charging visitors for their hospitality. “There is a difference between selling hospitality and valuing someone's contribution,” she told Gulf News.
Alsadoun's account points to a challenge in the model: visitors pay for a cultural experience, but its character depends on each household's willingness to host. She told Gulf News she wants to build a global platform with experiences shaped by each country's culture while avoiding a standardized product. She gave no timetable for expansion in the interview.
Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Tourism recorded 122.6 million domestic and inbound tourists in 2025, with tourism spending of SAR 303.7 billion. The totals rose 5.8% and 7.0%, respectively, from 2024. These national figures show the scale of the wider tourism sector, not HiHome's booking volume or revenue.
