Tourism

Overview

Following the opening of Saudi Arabia to international tourism in 2019, tourism has become one of the country’s highest growth potential sectors. Saudi Arabia is already the MENA region’s largest destination for travelers and accounts for about one-fifth of the MENA’s travel and tourism GDP. With capital investment for tourism set to rise to more than $54 billion over the next 10 years, Saudi Arabia expects to attract over 100 million local and international visits per year and become a leading international tourism hub by 2030.

Explore Saudi Arabia's

Tourism Sector

  • 100M
    local and international tourists per year by 2030
  • $19.3BN
    in total tourist receipts from inbound and domestic visits in 2019
  • 10%
    sector contribution to GDP by 2030, from 3% today
  • $519
    average tourist spend in 2019

Value Proposition

A new, unexplored global tourist destination

  • The tourist sector in Saudi Arabia has experienced enormous boom, with a surge in incoming foreign visitors and a large increase in domestic tourism.
  • Domestic expenditure accounts for 32% of total tourist spending in Saudi Arabia, indicating that the domestic tourism industry has a lot of room for development.
  • Currently, the first phase of the National Tourism Strategy is ongoing, which focuses on developing and enhancing 38 sites across seven destinations by 2022.
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Diverse tourism infrastructure projects with high international standards

  • The ambition for Saudi Arabia’s travel and tourism sector is to achieve over 10% of annual GDP by 2030, compared to 3% today.
  • Saudi Arabia’s hotel pipeline has 150,000 hotel rooms planned to be built by 2022, of which 30% will be government-funded and 70% will be driven by private sector.
  • Airport capacity to increase by over 100 million passengers per annum by 2030.

Exclusive destinations on the world tourism map

  • The Red Sea Project is the world’s most ambitious regenerative tourism project, offering an exclusive luxury experience of unparalleled diversity for discerning global travellers
  • Qiddiya is a disruptive destination offering a wide range of tourist activities within sports and wellness; nature and environment; parks and attractions; motion and mobility; and arts and culture.
  • AMAALA, hidden in plain sight on Saudi Arabia’s north western coast, is an ultra-luxury destination for self-transformation. Its three communities are easily accessible and connected to the iconic marinas of the Mediterranean Sea.
  • NEOM, a $500 billion mega city, is set to be world’s first private zone spanning three countries where tourists are set to enjoy the experience of visiting a truly state-of-the-art city.
  • Diriyah Gate is an enhanced, pedestrian friendly, walkable city, deeply rooted in the heritage and cultural equity of the Kingdom. The project is part of Saudi Arabia’s ambitious Vision 2030 program and will showcase the Kingdom’s history through a curated mix of heritage, hospitality, education, retail and dining experiences.

Rich ancient cultural heritage and breathtaking iconic sights

  • Saudi Arabia’s diverse terrain offers a wide variety of scenery, while its captivating history, rich culture and significance for Islam make it one of the most visited countries in the world.
  • Saudi Arabia is home to six UNESCO world heritage sites and more than 4,000 registered archaeological sites.
  • The historic site of Diriyah is an is an oasis and was declared a UNESCO heritage site in 2010. The site reflects the region’s rich Najd history featuring 300 years old architecture on site.
  • Madain Saleh is an archaeological site located in Al-`Ula and is one of the world’s greatest undiscovered wonders and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008

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