Saudi tourism spending hits record SAR304bn as visitor numbers reach 123 million

The figures represent year-on-year growth of 7% in tourism spending and 6% in total inbound and domestic tourist arrivals, underscoring the sector's expanding contribution to the Kingdom's economic diversification agenda under Vision 2030.

Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb stated that the strong performance outlined in the report was made possible by the unwavering support and astute direction of the Kingdom's leadership, which has been instrumental in positioning tourism as a key enabler of economic diversification and Saudi Vision 2030 goals.

The report showed that inbound and domestic tourism combined generated SAR304 billion in spending during 2025. Domestic tourism accounted for 93.3 million visitors who spent SAR127.1 billion, while 29.3 million inbound tourists contributed SAR176.6 billion to the economy.

Tourism's economic footprint continued to strengthen, with the sector directly contributing 4.9% to Saudi Arabia's GDP in 2024, marking a 14% increase from the previous year. The sector also delivered a SAR49.4 billion surplus in the travel account of the balance of payments in 2025, accounting for more than 61% of total services exports.

The report highlighted a notable shift in visitor behavior, with non-religious travel representing approximately 52% of all inbound overnight visits in 2025. The figure marks a significant increase from 44% recorded in 2019.

Employment in tourism-related industries also reached a new high, with nearly 1.03 million jobs supported by the sector in 2025. Female participation continued to rise sharply, with Saudi women accounting for around 47% of Saudi employees in tourism activities, compared with just 5% at the end of 2018.

Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb said the latest results demonstrate that tourism has evolved into a major economic growth engine for the Kingdom.

Earlier, Qazinform reported tourism brings Kazakhstan 630 billion tenge in taxes.