Tourism & Hospitality

Is the world coming to Saudi — and what does it mean for us?

Thriving Economy pillar22 sources9 metricsLast reviewed 2026-05-16

What this means for citizens

Hospitality, events, transport, and retail jobs are everywhere. Saudis can now visit AlUla, the Red Sea coast, Diriyah and other destinations as locals — many for the first time. Tourism is now a credible career path for Saudis, not just a sector for foreign workers.

Hero metric

Total visitors (domestic + inbound)

Tourism opened to international visitors in 2019 (~17.5M then)

122M

2025 (preliminary, MoT)

2019 baseline · Tourism opened to international visitors in 2019 (~17.5M then)Revised target · 2030 · 150M

Original 100M target met in 2023 (six years early). Revised to 150M by 2030 — 70M international + 80M domestic.

Original target met · new target setOfficial4 sources1 official2 news1 analysis

Publishers include: Ministry of Tourism · Arab News · Skift · UNWTO

The Story

Before

Before 2019, Saudi Arabia was effectively closed to leisure tourism. Travel was driven by religious pilgrimage (Hajj and Umrah) and business. Saudis themselves spent most of their leisure budgets abroad.

Initiative

Tourist visas (2019), e-visa for ~50 nationalities, visa-on-arrival, new flagship destinations (Red Sea, AlUla, Diriyah, NEOM), Riyadh & Jeddah Seasons, and large-scale hotel and airport investment.

Outcome

Saudi Arabia welcomed 122 million visitors in 2025 — a 5% jump on 2024 — and SAR 300 billion ($81B) in tourism spending. The Kingdom blew past its original 100M target in 2023 and is now aiming for 150M annual visitors by 2030.

For citizens

Supporting metrics

Inbound visitors 2024

29.7M

2024 (+8% YoY)

Total tourism investment commitments

>$400B

cumulative to 2025

European visitor growth

+14%

9M 2025

East Asia/Pacific visitor growth

+15%

9M 2025

2017 visitor baseline

~25 million

pre-Vision 2030 tourist visa baseline

Pandemic low (2020)

~14 million

2020 — full-year (COVID disruption)

Hajj 2026 — 1.5M pilgrims with AI tech and full 5G coverage

Five ministries announce readiness: 1.5M pilgrims expected with AI technologies, full 5G coverage, and 52,000+ health practitioners on duty.

Capacity2026

Haramain HSR provides 2.21M+ seats for Hajj 2026

5,300+ trips planned for the Hajj season — the largest single-event rail capacity in the kingdom's history.

Capacity2026

Hajj transport readiness — 33,000+ buses and 5,000 taxis

Transport General Authority announces fleet readiness for the 2026 Hajj season — among the largest organized passenger-transport deployments globally.

First2026

AI-powered multilingual robot deployed at Two Holy Mosques

First-of-kind interactive robot provides guidance, location information, and instant translation services to worshippers and pilgrims.

Programs delivering these outcomes · 12

The Red Sea Project

project

A luxury tourism development along the Red Sea coast, comprising over 90 islands and several hundred kilometers of coastline. Operated by Red Sea Global (a PIF subsidiary). The first hotels opened in 2023; the project's 2030 buildout targets ~50 hotels and a regional airport.

Diriyah Gate

project

A 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.

Qiddiya

project

An entertainment-led development southwest of Riyadh — theme parks, sports venues, a motor-racing circuit, and the planned home of Saudi Arabia's first Formula 1 race. Targets 2024–2027 phased openings.

GEA

institution

General Entertainment Authority

The government body that licenses and curates public entertainment events in the kingdom, established in 2016. Oversees concerts, festivals, theme park operations, and Riyadh Season programming. Its annual visit aggregate is the source of the 89M entertainment visits figure tracked in this portal.

Riyadh Season

program

A 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.

MDLBeast

institution

A PIF-backed entertainment and music company. Operates Soundstorm — the largest electronic music festival in the Middle East — and a portfolio of concert and festival properties across Saudi Arabia. Soundstorm 2024 drew 700,000+ attendees over four nights.

Evidence library · 8 sources

Filter coming in 2.1

Saudi tourism 2025 preliminary results

Ministry of Tourism (via Minister Al-Khateeb / WEF26)Visitors to Saudi

Tier 12026-01-21

Saudi Arabia nears 2030 tourism target as visitor numbers hit 122m in 2025

Arab NewsVisitors to Saudi

Tier 22026-01-21

Saudi Arabia Reports 5% Gain in 2025 Visits, Tops 120 Million

SkiftVisitors to Saudi

Tier 22026-01-23

Saudi Arabia ranked 1st globally in tourism revenue growth