Crown Prince says Saudi Arabia targets 150 mln tourist visits by 2030

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman

Saudi Arabia targets tourist visits ranging between over 100 and 150 million by 2030, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said in an interview with Fox News.

He added that the number of visits from inside and outside Saudi Arabia reached 40 million last year.

"In 2022, we ranked 10th in tourist visits globally, which is a great success," the Crown Prince said, adding that the Kingdom came first in the Middle East in terms of the number of visits, especially as it was not among the 10 top countries in the Middle East over the past years.

"When you want to diversify your economy, you want to work on all sectors, including tourism. If you want to have tourism, you need to develop your culture, entertainment, and sports sectors, as you need to create a calendar for events," he said.

"You can see tourism sector participated in Saudi Arabia's GDP by 3% and today it is 7%," the Cown Prince said, adding that the sector offered jobs and contributed to the economic growth.

Saudi Arabia is on its way to achieve 2023 targets and it is achieving its goals fast.