Saudi Tourism Push: New Airports, Rail, Transit

Saudi Arabia is pressing ahead with its National Tourism Strategy, backing the plan with expanded investment in airports, railways, and urban public transit to make it easier for visitors to reach the Kingdom's leading destinations. The strategy targets total tourism spending of around SAR 351 billion by 2026 and about 150 million visitors by 2030.

The 2026 national budget sets aside additional capital spending for airport upgrades, wider railway networks, and public transport systems, treating mobility as a core enabler of tourism growth. The Transport and Logistics Strategy works alongside the tourism plan to link major hubs and giga-projects — including NEOM, the Red Sea destination, Qiddiya, Diriyah, and AlUla — through connected aviation, rail, and urban transit.

On aviation, national plans aim to connect the Kingdom to roughly 250 international destinations and handle around 330 million passengers a year. Riyadh's planned King Salman International Airport, together with expansions in Jeddah, Dammam, and Madinah, are prioritized to serve future tourist and pilgrim traffic. Plans foresee around five new or significantly expanded airports by 2030 to support giga-projects and coastal tourism zones.

Rail is a major part of the picture, with an active portfolio estimated at about USD 102 billion in new lines, extensions, and upgrades. The Haramain High-Speed Railway, roughly 450 km long, already links Makkah, Jeddah, and Madinah, cutting travel time between the holy cities to under 2.5 hours for millions of pilgrims each year.

In Makkah, a wider public transport program includes a planned four-line metro, Bus Rapid Transit, and feeder services. Its initial Green Line of about 11 km connects Al Mashaar station in Mina to Marwa station near the Grand Mosque and extends to the Haramain rail station. The fully electric Al-Mashaaer Al-Mugaddassah Metro serving Mina, Muzdalifah, and Arafat is prepared to carry more than two million passengers during Hajj.

For residents and visitors, the expansion promises shorter travel times, better connections between cities, and easier access to both leisure destinations and the holy sites — key goals of Saudi Vision 2030.

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