Domestic cultural tourism in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia witnessed an uptick of 30%, owing to the post-pandemic boom in consumption across sectors such as art, films, and theatre compared to the 2020 levels.

According to the Report on the State of Culture in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 2021: Culture in Public Spaces, published by the Saudi Ministry of Culture, there has been a major rise in participation in cultural activities while traveling domestically. 

Domestic tourism in Saudi has already witnessed annual growth rates of 4.5% between 2017 and 2021. Owing to the lifting of the pandemic restrictions and the upsurge of cultural activities in the Kingdom, the report revealed even cinema ticket sales grew 85% between 2020 and 2021. 

The rate of those who attended a musical concert at least once rose by 12.5% in the same period. At the same time, similar recovery trends were seen in attendance at art exhibitions and in-person theatrical performances.

The report shows that the pandemic did not hinder the Kingdom’s cultural development, with data revealing a broader trend of increased interest and appreciation for culture. Findings also indicate significant growth in domestic cultural tourism, with 10.5 million trips taken during the first ten months of 2021, compared with 8.6 million in 2019.

“The Kingdom is undergoing an unprecedented cultural transformation which is continuing to gather pace. We have built an environment that enables creatives to flourish; proud of their shared history while eager to embrace their future,” Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan Al Saud, Saudi Minister of Culture, said.

“The findings of this report show that the pandemic has not hindered this transformation or Saudi’s growing interest in and appreciation of culture. Key indicators not only illustrate that our cultural sector is growing at a remarkable rate, but that more opportunities are being created for local people to engage with culture and pursue careers in the creative industries like never before,” the prince added.

Representing the third edition, the report comprises five sections: Management and Conservation, Creativity and Production, Cultural Participation, Knowledge and Skills, and the Creative Economy, and is a collaborative effort of 150 partners. 

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