Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector saw exceptional growth in 2023, with 8.6 million visitors from GCC countries alone contributing $4 billion to the kingdom’s economy, according to the Ministry of Tourism.

Bahrain led as the top GCC source market with 3.4 million tourists, followed by Kuwait with 2.3 million, the UAE with 1.4 million, Qatar with 1.1 million, and Oman with 455,000 visitors.

Overall, Saudi Arabia welcomed 27 million international visitors in 2023. Combining domestic and international tourist numbers, the total surpassed 109 million, with tourism spending reaching $37.6 billion for inbound and $30.4 billion for outbound tourists.

The Kingdom received 7.9 million visitors from Asia and the Pacific, led by Pakistan with 2.47 million. The Middle East contributed 5.6 million travelers, including 2.58 million from Egypt and 1.12 million from Jordan.

The US topped the Americas with 331,000 visitors, while Algeria led Africa with 523,000 travelers. Europe contributed 680,000 tourists, with Uzbekistan and the UK adding 540,000 and 370,000 visitors, respectively.

Saudi Arabia is committed to enhancing its tourism sector to reduce dependence on crude oil. The National Tourism Strategy aims to attract 150 million visitors by 2030 and boost tourism’s contribution to GDP from 6% to 10%.

“The 2023 data reveal that our tourism sector is experiencing remarkable growth and resilience,” said Saudi Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb. “The statistics shown in the report not only reflect the success of tourism policies but also demonstrate the vibrant economic activity driven by this sector.”  

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