Saudi Tourism Revenue Hits $81 Billion in 2025

Saudi Arabia's tourism sector recorded strong growth in 2025, with total spending reaching about SAR 300–304 billion (around $81 billion), an increase of roughly 6–7% over 2024. The Kingdom welcomed close to 122–123 million visitors during the year, combining international and domestic travelers.

Tourism revenue has nearly tripled in six years, climbing from about $28 billion in 2019 to around $81 billion in 2025. Inbound tourism accounted for approximately SAR 176.6 billion of the total spending, while domestic tourism contributed about SAR 127.1 billion. During the year, the country recorded around 29.3 million inbound tourists and roughly 93.3 million domestic tourists.

The Kingdom has revised its national target upward, aiming for 150 million annual visitors by 2030, split into an estimated 70–75 million international visitors and 75–80 million domestic visitors. Reaching that goal from the 2025 base of about 122 million requires adding roughly 28 million annual visitors over five years, an average yearly growth of about 4–5%.

Why it matters

The travel and tourism sector contributed roughly $178 billion to Saudi Arabia's GDP in 2025, underlining its growing role in the economy and in supporting jobs across hospitality, transport, and retail. Early figures for the first quarter of 2026 point to continued momentum, with 37.2 million tourism trips recorded — including 8.3 million inbound visitors and 28.9 million domestic trips — and total spending of around SAR 82.7 billion.

For residents and expats alike, the expansion signals more destinations, events, and services across the Kingdom, alongside greater employment and business opportunities as the sector scales toward its 2030 ambitions.

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