Saudi Arabia’s tourism surge is in full swing, with 60M visitors spending over $38B in the first half of the year.
Tourism Minister Ahmed bin Aqeel Al Khateeb underscored the achievements in the sector, noting the progress made with the support of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
The industry has seen remarkable growth, with a record 60M tourists and SR 143B ($38.1B) in spending during the first half of 2024, according to early data.
The minister stated: “Vision 2030 aims to boost the tourism sector as a key engine for economic and social development. The National Tourism Strategy, introduced in September 2019, encourages exploration of Saudi Arabia’s varied regions, including its coastlines, mountains, plains, cultural heritage, and rich history.”
“The introduction of the tourist visa enables visitors to uncover the Kingdom’s treasures, customs, and traditions.”
He also highlighted the ambitious targets of the National Tourism Strategy, which seeks to attract over 150M tourists by 2030.
Last year, the Kingdom made notable progress by hosting 109 M local and international tourists. This growth is expected to contribute to tourism comprising 10 per cent of the total GDP by 2030 and increasing employment from around 650,000 jobs in 2019 to 1.6 M jobs by 2030.
Al Khateeb stressed the crucial role of the Tourism Development Fund in financing significant tourism projects. The fund has invested SR 7.4B ($2B) in more than 100 projects across various regions, with a total value exceeding SR 35B ($9.3B).
He also pointed out the importance of developing the skills of Saudi nationals in the tourism sector. The Kingdom has set aside a special budget to train and qualify citizens in partnership with leading tourism institutions in Switzerland, Britain, and Spain.
The aim is to ensure that local talent is equipped to provide tourism services.
Additionally, the minister announced the release of the ministry’s annual statistical report, which details the achievements and objectives of the tourism sector for 2023.
The report shows that the total number of domestic and international tourists reached 109M in 2023, reflecting a 16 per cent increase compared to 2022.
Furthermore, the number of foreign tourists visiting the Kingdom last year exceeded 27M.
Preliminary figures for the first half of 2024 indicate that 60M domestic and international tourists visited during this period, spending over SR 143B ($38.1B).
Of these, 44 M were domestic tourists with spending exceeding SR 52B ($13.9B), while 15 M were international tourists with a total expenditure of over SR 90B ($24B).
Tourism directly contributed 5 per cent to the GDP during this period.
Regarding the impact of electronic visas on attracting tourists, the minister noted that electronic visas were introduced for selected countries in 2019.
Due to high demand, the number of eligible countries has now reached 66, making the Kingdom one of the quickest countries to obtain a visa.
