Saudi tourism's 122-million moment

Saudi Arabia was, until very recently, a country that most international visitors only entered for the Hajj or Umrah. In 2017, the kingdom received roughly 25 million visitors in total. The Vision 2030Vision 2030The kingdom's overarching economic and social transformation program, announced in April 2016. Built around three themes: a vibrant society, a thriving economy, an ambitious nation. Sets quantitative targets across labor, tourism, housing, healthcare, and other sectors, all benchmarked to 2030.→ Read more in the glossary target — announced in 2016 — was 100 million by 2030. At the time it was widely treated as a stretch number.

The pivot started in 2019 with the announcement of the tourist e-visa, which opened the country to leisure travelers from 49 countries for the first time in its modern history. The pandemic was an obvious interruption — 2020 numbers collapsed to roughly 14 million — but the rebound was unusually steep: 64 million in 2022, 100 million in 2023, and 122 million in 2025. The original 100M target was hit five years ahead of schedule. The new target is 150M.

What's driving the numbers? Three things, in approximate order of magnitude:

Umrah and religious tourism. Still the largest single category by volume. Umrah pilgrim arrivals rebounded past pre-pandemic levels, and the kingdom has been progressively easing visa categories — multi-entry visas, longer durations, integration with leisure itineraries — that broaden religious tourism beyond the traditional structure.

Domestic tourism. The 89-million entertainment visitor count is mostly domestic, and a meaningful share of the 122M tourism total is Saudi citizens taking domestic trips that previously would have been outbound. Riyadh SeasonRiyadh SeasonA months-long annual entertainment program in Riyadh, launched in 2019 and managed by GEA. Combines concerts, sports, food festivals, theme park openings, and cultural programming across multiple zones (Boulevard, Wonder Garden, BLVD City, etc.). The 2024–2025 edition drew 13 million visits.→ Read more in the glossary alone now draws double-digit million visitor counts annually.

International leisure. The Red Sea developments, AlUla, Diriyah GateDiriyah GateA heritage-led urban development on the western edge of Riyadh, on the site of the first Saudi state's capital. Mixes restored historic quarters (At-Turaif, a UNESCO World Heritage site) with new luxury hotels, residential, retail, and cultural spaces.→ Read more in the glossary, and Riyadh as an emerging entertainment-conference destination are the long-term structural plays. The hospitality buildout has been substantial — over 5,600 licensed facilities by Q3 2025, up 40% YoY.