Saudi Arabia ranked second globally in the growth rate of tourist numbers during the first seven months of 2023, according to the Saudi Ministry of Tourism.
Mahmoud Abdulhadi, the Deputy Minister of Tourism, confirmed that last year witnessed a significant increase in the number of visitors to the Kingdom by 45% compared to 2019. The international visitors reached around 16.5 million, and Abdulhadi added that this growth was not limited to international visitors but also included a significant increase in the number of domestic visitors, reaching 78.8 million. Looking at these statistics, the total spending for these two categories exceeded $50 billion.
Abdulhadi explained that recreational visits constitute a significant percentage of visits to the Kingdom, noting that this type of visit has experienced rapid growth since 2019, with an increase of approximately 119%. The share of this category in total visits is about 38%, highlighting the importance of recreational visits in Saudi Arabia’s tourism strategy.
Saudi Arabia expects to attract around 100 million domestic and international visitors this year, contributing to approximately 6% of the Kingdom’s gross domestic product. During the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh, Saudi Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb announced that the Kingdom would end the year with around 30 million international tourists, approaching half of its goal to attract 70 million foreign tourists by 2030.