Saudi Arabia Welcomes Record 32 Million Visitors Under “Saudi Summer Program”

The report showed that Saudi Arabia spent approximately SAR284 billion ($75.7 billion) in total on tourism for both domestic and inbound travel.

Saudi Arabia might have experienced record-breaking attention from people around the world, as announced by its Ministry of Tourism. The ministry has organised a Saudi Summer program, attracting more than 32 million tourists from both domestic and international markets, which is a 26% increase compared to the summer season of 2024.

Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al Khateeb started this Saudi Summer program in June at a workshop that brought together partners from both the public and private sectors. Under the theme “Colour Your Summer,” the program brought people to six destinations, from beaches in Jeddah and the Red Sea to mountain retreats in Taif, Al-Baha, and Aseer.

The key moments of the summer program included the Esports World Cup, as well as Jeddah and Aseer Seasons, which offered many activities and entertainment for visitors. The Esports World Cup stood out this year, as it attracted a record number of visitors from all over the world to the kingdom. They broadcast the event, and it got 750 million viewers, arenas were packed with hundreds of thousands of fans, and 2,000 Super Fans traveled to Riyadh to cheer on their teams.

Saudi Arabia is working very hard to welcome visitors throughout the year. People are already making plans for the Saudi Winter season. The program aims to bring more global events and new tourism experiences.

Tourist spending also reached new milestones, reaching SR53.2 billion ($14.2 billion) and marking a 15% annual rise. The region that experienced the most significant growth was the Aseer region. The reason for growth can be attributed to the travellers from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), with a 49% increase in arrivals compared to the previous summer. This success shows how consistently Saudi Arabia is putting efforts into expanding its tourism sector in order to achieve its Saudi Vision 2030 goals, which aim to position the Kingdom as a leading global travel destination. It aims to attract 70 million visitors each year by 2030, with goals to position itself among the top seven tourist hotspots around the globe, and it is slowly getting there, as stated by Ahmed Al Khateeb, the Kingdom’s Minister of Tourism.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently recognized the strong growth of Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector and its important role in the national economy. In its August 2025 Article IV Consultation Report, the IMF also praised the strength of the Kingdom’s economy.

According to the IMF report, the considerable growth in international tourism has helped compensate for some of the economic outflows from the Kingdom, contributing to the reduction of the slight current account deficit for 2024.

In 2024, Saudi Arabia welcomed around 116 million domestic and inbound tourists. According to official statistics, it is a 6% increase from 2023. The Ministry of Tourism made this 2024 Annual Statistical Report after analyzing key tourism metrics and measuring how much the sector has grown after they have made some significant developments in the infrastructure in 2023.

The report showed that Saudi Arabia spent approximately SAR284 billion ($75.7 billion) in total on tourism for both domestic and inbound travel. It is an 11% increase compared to the previous year. Saudi Arabia recorded its highest-ever figure for inbound tourists, welcoming around 30 million visitors in 2024, representing an 8% increase from 2023. The kingdom spent around SAR 168.5 billion on inbound tourism. It is a 19% rise from last year. The kingdom had to invest in 86.2 million domestic tourists in 2024, thereby experiencing a 5% growth from the previous year.