TravTalk Middle East Online Magazine
The Ministry of Tourism has released its 2024 Annual Statistical Report on the tourism sector in Saudi Arabia, highlighting key indicators of tourism activity and underlining the sector’s continued growth following the significant progress recorded in 2023. For the second consecutive year, the Kingdom crossed the 100 million tourist mark, reveals the report.
TT Bureau
His Excellency Ahmed Al Khateeb, Minister of Tourism, Saudi Arabia, said the tourism numbers reflected in the 2024 report were achieved with the guidance and support of the Kingdom’s leadership. His Excellency added that tourism has become a key enabler of Saudi Vision 2030, with the report showcasing the sector’s accelerated growth, driven by the efforts of the ministry and all stakeholders of Saudi Arabia’s tourism ecosystem.
According to the report, the Kingdom welcomed around 116 million domestic and inbound tourists in 2024, a 6 per cent increase compared with 2023. Total tourism spending — for domestic and inbound tourism — reached approximately SAR284 billion, reflecting an 11 per cent growth year-on-year. The ministry noted that Saudi Arabia achieved its highest-ever number of inbound tourists, receiving about 30 million inbound tourists in 2024, marking an 8 per cent rise versus 2023. Inbound tourism spending in 2024 totalled SAR168.5 billion, up 19 per cent from 2023. Domestic tourism also experienced solid growth with 86.2 million domestic tourists in 2024, marking a 5 per cent increase compared with 2023. Moreover, domestic tourism spending reached SAR115.3 billion in 2024.
Saudi Arabia ranked first globally in growth of international tourism receipts in the first quarter of 2025 compared with the first quarter of 2019, according to the World Tourism Barometer published by UN Tourism. As outlined in the report, the Kingdom placed third worldwide in growth of international tourist arrivals and second in the Middle East in Q1 2025, compared to Q1 2019. During the first quarter of 2025, the Kingdom recorded a remarkable 102 per cent increase in international tourist arrivals, as compared to the same period in 2019 — far exceeding the global average of 3 per cent and the Middle East average of 44 per cent. This outstanding growth underscores Saudi Arabia’s position as a key player in both regional and global tourism and underlines the Kingdom’s unwavering commitment to advance the sector and realise its objectives set in Saudi Vision 2030.
