Saudi Arabia prioritizes domestic tourists: Al Khateeb

Minister of Tourism, Ahmed Al Khateeb

Saudi Arabia prioritizes domestic tourists to GCC and international visitors, according to Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al Khateeb.

Speaking on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Al Khateeb said that after attracting Gulf tourists, Saudi Arabia aims to expand its reach to Europe, neighboring countries, China, and India—key markets the Kingdom considers highly significant, Asharq Al-Awsat reported.

He highlighted Saudi Arabia’s focus on major outbound tourism markets such as China and India, affirming that the Kingdom is advancing according to a clear strategy.

In 2024, Saudi Arabia welcomed approximately 127 million tourists, with a target to increase this figure to 150 million by 2030, according to the minister.

Al Khateeb revealed that tourism spending reached about SAR 275 billion, and for the first time, the Kingdom attracted 30 million international visitors. The ultimate goal is to grow this figure to 70 million foreign tourists, placing Saudi Arabia among the world’s top seven destinations for international tourism.

Tourism currently contributes around 4.7% of Saudi Arabia’s GDP, with plans to raise this ratio to 10% by 2030.

Al Khateeb expressed optimism about achieving this target, driven by mega projects such as Diriyah, Qiddiya, and the Red Sea developments, which are set to come online within the next three to five years.