The Kingdom leads tourism in the Middle East... $178 billion by 2025 – Breaking News
He pointed to the strong and consistent performance achieved by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Saudi ArabiaAnd to consolidate its position as a prominent regional leader in the travel and tourism sector.
Saudi travel and tourism sector
He pointed out that Saudi Arabia represents the largest tourism economy in the Middle East, with the total contribution of the travel and tourism sector in the Kingdom – according to the Council's estimates – reaching approximately US$178 billion in 2025, representing 46% of the tourism economy in the Middle East region. This is based on the Council's methodology, which includes the direct, indirect, and induced GDP of the sector.
The report explained that the total contribution of the travel and tourism sector to the Kingdom's GDP grew by approximately 7.4% in 2025, nearly double the global average growth rate of 4.1%.
At the regional level, the Kingdom exceeded the Middle East average growth rate of 5.3%, reinforcing its position as the fastest-growing tourism market in the region. These figures confirm the regional leadership of Saudi tourism and its rapid growth since the beginning of the comprehensive transformation path outlined by the Kingdom's Vision 2030.
Saudi tourism figures for 2025
The report highlighted the role of business travel as a key driver of growth in Saudi tourism, noting the Kingdom's emergence as a pivotal hub for conferences, exhibitions, and major international events, thus reinforcing its position as a leading global tourist destination with diverse demand drivers.
The World Travel & Tourism Council report confirms the continued growth of the Kingdom's tourism sector, a trend reflected in various international and local reports. Saudi Arabia recently released its annual Vision 2030 report for 2025,
which revealed strong performance in the tourism sector last year, projecting a total of approximately 123 million domestic and international tourists in 2025, further solidifying the Kingdom's status as a leading global tourist destination.
