Saudi Arabia international leisure tourism forecast to grow 93% by 2030
A new report predicts Saudi Arabia's international leisure tourism will expand by 93 percent between 2025 and 2030, significantly outpacing regional and global growth.
Saudi Arabia plans for a massive expansion in its international leisure sector. The Kingdom is forecast to see overnight arrivals from foreign tourists rise by 93 percent between 2025 and 2030. This projected growth rate of 93 percent exceeds the estimated 64 percent increase across the Middle East and the 30 percent rise globally. Data on international travel to the region grew by 67 percent from 2019 to 2025, compared with 20 percent in the wider Middle East and five percent worldwide. Saudi Arabia generated around three-quarters of the region's international travel growth during that period and accounted for approximately 15 percent of global travel growth since 2019. Dave Goodger, managing director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa at Tourism Economics, noted that international visitors now account for nearly half of all nights spent in the Kingdom. International visitor spending generated by leisure travelers rose from 9 percent in 2019 to 28 percent in 2025 and is expected to reach 31 percent by 2030.
