Saudi Arabia’s Tourism Initiative: Attracting More Foreign Visitors—A New Era for Travel!
Saudi Arabia reported a remarkable achievement in 2024, welcoming a record 30 million foreign tourists, a significant increase from 27.5 million in 2023.
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This surge is part of the Kingdom’s extensive investment of nearly $1 trillion in tourism projects, aligning with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 strategy aimed at diversifying the economy away from oil dependency and enhancing domestic development.
Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb announced these figures at the World Economic Forum in Davos, highlighting the diverse reasons for travel, including religious pilgrimages, business, and leisure.
However, the growth rate for 2024 showed a marked slowdown compared to 2023, which saw an impressive over 60% increase in international arrivals
To further boost tourism, the Kingdom aims to attract 70 million visitors annually by 2030, with a particular focus on the burgeoning middle-class populations in India and China.
The government’s strategy includes significant investments in luxury hotels, entertainment venues, and infrastructure projects.
Notably, Riyadh recently launched a new metro system to alleviate traffic congestion, and a massive international airport is under construction, expected to be the largest in the world upon its completion in 2030.
Saudi Arabia is also gearing up to host major events, including the Asian Winter Games, World Expo, and the World Cup over the next nine years.
The total number of tourists, including both foreigners and Saudi citizens, reached about 115 million in 2024, up from 109 million the previous year.
As of the end of last year, the tourism sector contributed 5% to the Kingdom’s GDP, with plans to increase this figure to 10% by the start of the next decade.
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