By Nathan Morley
Saudi Arabia received 106.2 million domestic and international tourists in 2023, the Saudi Ministry of Tourism said in a statement last night.
The total number of tourists represented a 56-percent increase from 2019 and a 12-percent rise from 2022. The number of international tourists reached 27.4 million, showing a 56-percent increase from 2019 and a 65-percent rise from 2022, said the ministry.
The milestone positions the kingdom as an emerging global tourism powerhouse, and motivates the authority to set a new ambitious target of welcoming 150 million tourists by 2030, it said.
Tourism has proven to be a significant contributor to the nation’s economy, with domestic and international tourists spending over 250 billion Saudi Riyals (66.66 billion U.S. dollars) in 2023, representing over 4 percent of the GDP and 7 percent of the non-oil GDP, the ministry revealed.
Saudi Tourism Minister Ahmed Al Khateeb said that the significant increase in tourists demonstrates the scale of transformation since the National Tourism Strategy was launched five years ago.
“The tourism ecosystem continues to operate in line with the national tourism strategy by developing diverse tourist destinations,” said Al Khateeb. “Our aim is to enrich the experiences of tourists, diversify options for both local and international visitors, and enhance hospitality facilities along with other services provided.”
