Saudi Arabia is getting closer to its 2030 tourism target, under the socio-economic diversification agenda titled “Vision 2030,” after the Kingdom welcomed an estimated 122 million visitors in 2025, a 5% annual increase, stated the preliminary official data.
By 2030, the Gulf nation wants to reach the mark of 150 million annual visitors. Total tourism spending, on the other hand, reached the estimated SR300 billion mark (USD 81 billion), up 6% from 2024, underscoring the sector’s growing economic impact.
The development also validated the impacts created by the strategic investments and policy corrections, that the Gulf nation’s administration has implemented into the tourism sector, be it coming up with global destination projects or executing things visa reforms and expanding hospitality infrastructure, that underpin Vision 2030’s drive to diversify the economy and position the Kingdom as a leading tourism hub.
The Minister of Tourism, Ahmed Al-Khateeb, highlighted the achievement on X (formerly Twitter), thanking Saudi Arabia’s leadership for their support, which he said “delivered another year of record performance and sustained growth.”
He added, “These preliminary figures, unveiled at WEF26 (World Economic Forum 2026), underscore a clear reality: Saudi tourism is no longer an emerging story. It is a growth engine, building investor confidence, shaping global demand, and unlocking long-term opportunity at scale.”
In 2024, the Kingdom welcomed 116 million tourists, exceeding its annual visitor target for the second consecutive year, according to the Ministry of Tourism’s statistical report released in June 2025. The total comprised 29.7 million inbound visitors, marking an 8% year-on-year increase, and 86.2 million domestic trips, up 5% from 2023.
After surpassing its original 100 million visitor target six years ahead of schedule in 2023, the Kingdom revised its tourism ambitions, setting a new goal of 150 million annual tourists by 2030, including 70 million international visitors and 80 million domestic tourists.
Tourism, which currently accounts for 18% of global GDP, is emerging as another growth engine in the Kingdom’s diversification efforts, covering 5% of the nation’s GDP, Minister Al-Khateeb said.
During the ninth Future Investment Initiative conference in October 2025, Al-Khateeb said: “We aspire to double that figure within the next five years, which will represent 10% of total jobs.”
He also highlighted the rapid transformation of the Kingdom’s tourism landscape, driven by the expansion of new segments like entertainment, sports, culture, and conferences, events, and exhibitions.