Saudi Arabia Exceeds 116 Million Tourists in 2024, Reaches New Heights
The Kingdom's tourism sector shows remarkable acceleration, setting new records for visitor numbers and revenue.
Riyadh: Saudi Arabia welcomed a record-breaking 116 million tourists in 2024, surpassing its annual target for the second consecutive year, according to official statistics.
This milestone underscores the continued success of the nation's Vision 2030 strategy, which positions tourism as a key driver of economic diversification.The data from the Ministry of Tourism indicates a significant increase in both international and domestic travel within the Kingdom.
The number of inbound tourists rose by 8 percent year-on-year to 29.7 million, while domestic trips increased by 5 percent to reach 86.2 million.
These figures reflect the substantial investment made by Saudi Arabia in developing its tourism infrastructure and global marketing efforts.The Ministry's statistics also reveal a shift towards non-religious tourism, which now accounts for 59 percent of inbound visits—a notable increase from 44 percent in 2019.
Leisure and holiday travel are leading this growth area, with associated spending reaching SR36.4 billion.Makkah remains the most popular destination, attracting 17.4 million overnight visitors, followed by Egypt as the top source market with 3.2 million arrivals.
The analysis also highlights that Asia and the Pacific contributed the largest share of inbound tourists (33 percent), closely followed by the Middle East and North Africa (28 percent) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (27 percent).
Europe accounted for 8 percent, while both the Americas and Africa each made up 2 percent of total visitors.The growth in tourism has had a direct impact on the Kingdom's economy.
Total tourism spending reached SR283.8 billion ($75.6 billion) in 2024, with inbound tourists contributing SR168.5 billion—a 19 percent increase from 2023—and domestic tourist expenditure reaching SR115.3 billion, a 1 percent rise.The Minister of Tourism, Ahmed Al-Khateeb, commented on the achievement, stating that the tourism sector's performance supports Saudi Vision2030 and the national economy.
The sustained growth is attributed to the support of the Kingdom's leadership and targeted marketing campaigns aimed at increasing global outreach.
This milestone underscores the continued success of the nation's Vision 2030 strategy, which positions tourism as a key driver of economic diversification.The data from the Ministry of Tourism indicates a significant increase in both international and domestic travel within the Kingdom.
The number of inbound tourists rose by 8 percent year-on-year to 29.7 million, while domestic trips increased by 5 percent to reach 86.2 million.
These figures reflect the substantial investment made by Saudi Arabia in developing its tourism infrastructure and global marketing efforts.The Ministry's statistics also reveal a shift towards non-religious tourism, which now accounts for 59 percent of inbound visits—a notable increase from 44 percent in 2019.
Leisure and holiday travel are leading this growth area, with associated spending reaching SR36.4 billion.Makkah remains the most popular destination, attracting 17.4 million overnight visitors, followed by Egypt as the top source market with 3.2 million arrivals.
The analysis also highlights that Asia and the Pacific contributed the largest share of inbound tourists (33 percent), closely followed by the Middle East and North Africa (28 percent) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (27 percent).
Europe accounted for 8 percent, while both the Americas and Africa each made up 2 percent of total visitors.The growth in tourism has had a direct impact on the Kingdom's economy.
Total tourism spending reached SR283.8 billion ($75.6 billion) in 2024, with inbound tourists contributing SR168.5 billion—a 19 percent increase from 2023—and domestic tourist expenditure reaching SR115.3 billion, a 1 percent rise.The Minister of Tourism, Ahmed Al-Khateeb, commented on the achievement, stating that the tourism sector's performance supports Saudi Vision2030 and the national economy.
The sustained growth is attributed to the support of the Kingdom's leadership and targeted marketing campaigns aimed at increasing global outreach.
