Saudi Arabia’s tourism metrics for the three months ending in September show a robust upswing in outbound and inbound activity, underscoring the Kingdom’s continuing push to diversify its economy under Vision 2030. The latest data from the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) reveal that total tourism spending within Saudi Arabia rose by 27.25% year over year to SR25.05 billion, equivalent to about $6.68 billion, signaling stronger domestic tourism demand and increased traveler confidence. At the same time, residents traveling abroad spent SR26.33 billion, up 21.79% from the prior year, highlighting sustained outbound travel as global mobility recovers and Saudi households expand their international experiences. The combined dynamic creates a travel balance of payments picture that shows a deficit of SR1.28 billion for the quarter, representing a 33.83% improvement in the deficit compared with the same period a year earlier, which indicates a healthier balance in the face of rising outbound activity.
Looking at the broader nine-month horizon, the travel balance still ends in positive territory, with a surplus of SR40.17 billion, reflecting a 4% year-on-year increase from the first nine months of the previous year. This net positive balance underscores the Kingdom’s ability to attract inbound spending and support a stronger current account position through tourism, even as domestic and outbound travel intensifies. Taken together, these figures align with Saudi Arabia’s strategic objective of ranking among the top 10 global tourist destinations by the end of the decade, a target embedded in Vision 2030’s broader economy-wide diversification plan. The data also illustrate the impact of recent cultural and entertainment advances, which have positioned the Kingdom as a growing hub for art exhibitions, high-profile events, and immersive experiences that seek to elevate Saudi Arabia’s global image. This cultural acceleration sits alongside policy shifts, including the introduction of new visa pathways such as the Visiting Investor visa, which signal the country’s intent to attract a wider spectrum of visitors and to sustain the growth trajectory of the tourism sector.
Across inbound and outbound flows, the spending patterns reflect a blend of religious, cultural, and seasonal influences that shape travel behavior and spending intensity. Inbound tourism, in particular, has shown notable fluctuations throughout the year, driven by a mixture of religious observances, cultural events, and seasonal climate conditions. Religious tourism, which accounted for 42% of all inbound visits in 2023 according to the Ministry of Tourism’s annual report, remains a pivotal determinant of visitor numbers and expenditure patterns. Pilgrimages associated with the holy months of Hajj and Ramadan typically drive pronounced surges in visitor numbers and in per-visitor spending, underscoring the importance of faith-driven travel to the Kingdom’s tourism sector. On the other hand, non-religious inbound tourism, which represented 58% of inbound arrivals in 2023, is influenced by a different mix of factors, including climate, vacation timing, and leisure-driven motivations. These dynamics collectively contribute to the variability in inbound receipts and the seasonal rhythm of travel demand.
Within this inbound/outbound framework, leisure travelers and visitors coming to relatives and friends (VFR) have distinct spending patterns that interact with climate-driven seasonality. Leisure travelers often align their trips with milder temperatures, shopping opportunities, and cultural events, while VFR visitors may have longer durations and higher accommodation spending depending on family ties and visiting schedules. The seasonal preference in travel typically results in peak tourism activity during the second quarter of each year, when climate conditions are more favorable for outdoor and cultural activities, as well as for events and exhibitions that attract both domestic and international visitors. The 2024 data point that inbound spending reached SR47.6 billion in the second quarter parallels the 2023 trend, when the second quarter saw inbound receipts of SR48.93 billion, reinforcing the notion that the middle of the year remains a critical window for tourism activity in Saudi Arabia. By comparison, the third quarter of 2023 saw expenditures fall to SR19.68 billion, a consequence linked to the intensifying summer heat that historically suppresses outbound and inbound travel during the hottest months.
Section 2 will now explore inbound tourism spending in greater depth, including the geographic and demographic patterns that shape where money flows and why.
Inbound tourism spending dynamics and key drivers
Inbound tourism spending in Saudi Arabia has emerged as a central pillar of the Kingdom’s tourism economy, propelled by a combination of religious duty, cultural curiosity, and the allure of new urban and heritage experiences. The data indicate that inbound spending, while subject to seasonal and religious fluctuations, continues to demonstrate resilience and a capacity to grow alongside outbound travel and domestic demand. In 2023, religious tourism accounted for a dominant share of spending, reflecting the enduring importance of pilgrimage and faith-based travel to the Kingdom’s inbound mix. Religious visits generated the majority share of total inbound expenditure, contributing 55% of the total or SR77.4 billion, a figure that underscores the magnitude of faith-driven travel in the Saudi tourism calendar. This share highlights the centrality of places associated with Islamic heritage and the pilgrimage circuit in shaping visitor flows and consumer spending patterns.
The remaining portion of inbound spending comprises visits to relatives and families (VFR) and leisure tourism, which together account for the non-religious segment of inbound demand. VFR visits represented 19% of inbound expenditure, amounting to SR26.3 billion, while leisure tourism accounted for a meaningful, though comparatively smaller, component of inbound spending at SR21.6 billion. These two categories reflect a broader pattern in which religious tourism coexists with secular tourism activities that capitalize on Saudi Arabia’s evolving cityscapes, cultural offerings, and entertainment options. The interaction between these categories helps explain why inbound receipts can remain robust even when religious tourism experiences seasonal variability. The diversification of needs and experiences across religious and non-religious segments ensures that inbound spending remains a meaningful contributor to the Saudi economy across multiple quarters.
Seasonality again emerges as a crucial factor in inbound spending, with a clear linkage to climate and event calendars. Leisure tourism, which includes activities such as entertainment, sightseeing, and urban exploration, tends to peak when temperatures are more moderate and when major events, exhibitions, and festivals are scheduled. Even within the religious tourism framework, the calendar of Hajj and Ramadan can generate predictable surges that are punctuated by periods of lower activity at other times of the year. These dynamics have implications for hotel occupancy, hospitality earnings, and the broader ecosystem that supports inbound travelers, including travel agencies, tour operators, and cultural institutions.
The quarterly pattern in 2024 further emphasizes seasonality, with inbound spending in the second quarter rising to SR47.6 billion, a continuation of the positive trajectory seen in 2023, when the second quarter posted SR48.93 billion. The similarity of these quarterly benchmarks suggests that structural factors—such as the timing of religious events, school holidays in various regions, and the scheduling of major cultural programs—play a significant role in shaping inbound tourism receipts. Conversely, the sharp dip observed in the third quarter of 2023 to SR19.68 billion underscores how summertime heat can dampen travel demand, particularly for outdoor leisure activities and long-haul inbound trips that require more intense planning and energy.
It is important to connect these inbound spending dynamics to the geographic distribution of visitors within Saudi Arabia’s urban and holy sites. Makkah, as the premier destination for religious tourism, consistently accounts for a substantial fraction of inbound visitors and their expenditures. In 2023, Makkah welcomed 15.4 million visitors, attracted primarily by religious purposes, which in turn contributed to the concentration of spending in this destination. Madinah, another key religious center, drew 9.6 million visitors, underscoring the strong pull of the pilgrimage circuit within the country’s sacred geography. Riyadh, while not a religious heartland in the same way as Makkah or Madinah, emerged as a major draw in 2023 with 2.8 million visitors, reinforcing its status as a growing cultural and business hub that complements the religious tourism pathway.
The spending composition by destination and purpose reveals that religious tourism is not just a flow of visitors but a major engine of expenditure, with SR77.4 billion in 2023 allocated to this segment. This amount represents 55% of inbound spending, illustrating the outsized role of faith-based travel in shaping the Kingdom’s tourism revenue profile. Relative and family visits contributed SR26.3 billion (19%), while leisure spending represented SR21.6 billion, highlighting the importance of diversifying tourism products to attract non-religious travelers who still represent a meaningful share of inbound demand. The inertia of inbound spending in the wake of religious calendars does not preclude growth in non-religious segments; rather, it demonstrates that a multi-faceted strategy can leverage religious tourism while expanding leisure and VFR opportunities to sustain growth across the year.
The broader implication of these inbound spending patterns for policymakers and industry stakeholders is that investments in religious infrastructure, cultural projects, and hospitality capacity must be balanced with efforts to cultivate leisure attractions and business travel amenities. The Visiting Investor visa, a landmark policy initiative, complements these efforts by creating pathways for international investors and tourists to engage more deeply with the Saudi economy, supporting both inbound tourism spend and longer-term visitation pipelines. The visa policy, combined with targeted cultural programming—art exhibitions, concerts, and other high-profile events—helps to diversify the inbound mix beyond religious tourism, extending the reach of Saudi tourism to new international audiences and demographic groups.
The data also underscore the importance of climate management and seasonal programming as levers to sustain inbound spending. As climate considerations influence travel choices, authorities and private sector operators can coordinate on scheduling and marketing to align with peak leisure periods, ensuring that hotels, entertainment venues, and attractions deliver compelling experiences during the months when inbound visitors are most likely to arrive. The combination of climate-aware marketing, robust event calendars, and visa policy enhancements contributes to a more resilient inbound tourism ecosystem that can absorb the fluctuations inherent in religious calendars while maximizing the overall spend from international visitors.
Section 3 will delve into the comparative performance of destinations within the Kingdom and the profiles of travelers that contributed to inbound tourism’s spending footprint.
Destination performance and traveler profiles: city-by-city and segment perspectives
The distribution of inbound visitors across Saudi Arabia’s leading destinations reflects a combination of religious gravity and the emergence of Riyadh as a cultural and business nexus. Makkah’s role as the principal inbound gateway for religious tourism is underscored by its status as the most visited destination in 2023, with 15.4 million visitors driven primarily by religious purposes. The sheer scale of this inflow reinforces the prominence of religious sites and the pilgrim circuit in shaping overall tourism volumes and spending. The city’s religious focus translates into a substantial concentration of inbound expenditure, given the per-visitor spend patterns associated with pilgrimages and the related services and amenities that support large gatherings.
Madinah, positioned as a secondary but essential pilgrimage center, attracted 9.6 million visitors in 2023. This figure highlights the dual role of Madinah as a spiritual destination and a hub for travelers seeking a broader cultural experience around the religious calendar. The visitor mix here demonstrates how religious tourism continues to drive sustained visitor numbers, even as other segments of inbound tourism diversify the city’s tourism ecosystem. Riyadh’s emergence as a major inbound draw is particularly noteworthy, with 2.8 million visitors in 2023. This data point signals a growing appreciation for Riyadh as a cultural and business hub that can appeal to a variety of traveler segments beyond religious purposes. The city’s status in the inbound mix aligns with broader strategic objectives to develop Saudi Arabia’s capital into a premier destination for arts, culture, and commerce, thereby broadening the spectrum of inbound demand.
When examining the spending distribution by segment, religious tourism dominated the spend profile, accounting for 55% of total inbound expenditure in 2023 or SR77.4 billion. This concentration demonstrates the direct relationship between pilgrimage-driven visitation and the associated expenditure on accommodation, services, and related travel costs. In contrast, visits to relatives and families contributed 19% or SR26.3 billion, illustrating the strong pull of familial ties and the associated longer stays and higher daily spending that often accompany VFR travel. Leisure tourism, which encompasses entertainment, sightseeing, and other recreational activities, accounted for the remaining share at SR21.6 billion, underscoring a meaningful but smaller portion of inbound revenue that nevertheless represents a crucial growth area for diversifying the inbound profile away from religion-centric travel.
The intra-year variation in spending by destination and segment points to strategic opportunities for policy makers and industry operators to optimize capacity, services, and marketing. For example, the concentration of spending in Makkah during peak religious periods suggests the need for scalable hospitality capacity, expanded transportation options, and enhanced visitor services that can efficiently accommodate large flows without diminishing visitor experience. In Riyadh, the emphasis on cultural and business events creates demand for museums, galleries, performance venues, culinary experiences, and convention facilities, all of which contribute to a diversified non-religious inbound appeal. Madinah’s continued religious significance implies targeted investment in religious tourism infrastructure and services that support pilgrims while balancing the needs of other traveler segments who may also visit the city for heritage or cultural experiences.
These destination-level insights help illuminate the broader evolution of Saudi Arabia’s tourism model—from a primary reliance on religious pilgrimage toward a more diversified portfolio that includes cultural tourism, leisure experiences, and business travel. The development of new visa categories, such as the Visiting Investor visa, complements this diversification by enabling longer, more meaningful engagements with the Saudi economy that can translate into repeat visits and extended stays. This multi-pronged approach aligns with Vision 2030’s objective of creating a resilient, inclusive tourism sector that can attract a wide range of international visitors and distribute economic benefits across different regions and communities.
Subsections within this section further explore the implications for hospitality capacity, transport infrastructure, and the development of experiential offerings in key destinations. These considerations highlight how the interplay between religious gravity and secular appeal is shaping investment decisions, with developers and policymakers seeking to balance capacity with quality of experience. The resulting ecosystem—comprising hotels, guesthouses, cultural venues, and entertainment options—aims to deliver a compelling value proposition for a broad spectrum of travelers, thereby supporting sustainable growth in inbound tourism spend and reducing volatility across seasons.
Section 4 will examine policy developments, visa programs, and the strategic implications for Saudi Arabia’s tourist attraction framework.
Policy developments, visa programs, and strategic implications for tourism growth
A major structural shift in the Saudi tourism policy landscape is the introduction of landmark visa initiatives designed to attract a broader and more diverse mix of inbound visitors. Among these, the Visiting Investor visa stands out as a key instrument in the Kingdom’s strategy to catalyze international engagement, investment, and tourism. This visa pathway is intended to attract a wide array of investors, business travelers, and culture enthusiasts, creating a more sustained and symbiotic relationship between international visitors and the Saudi economy. The visa’s existence signals a recognition that tourism growth can be made more robust when combined with economic activity that fosters investment, entrepreneurship, and cross-border exchange. By promoting longer stays and repeat visits, the Visiting Investor visa can contribute to a steadier inbound flow that complements existing religious and leisure tourism streams.
In addition to visa enhancements, the Kingdom’s ongoing cultural program—hosting art exhibitions, high-profile entertainment events, and curated experiences—serves as a strategic complement to visa policy. These cultural offerings not only raise Saudi Arabia’s global profile but also increase the attractiveness of the country as a destination for international travelers seeking diverse experiences beyond religious pilgrimage. This alignment between policy levers (visa pathways) and programmatic offerings (cultural events) is central to the Vision 2030 objective of positioning Saudi Arabia as a top-tier destination for a wide range of traveler types, including families, professionals, students, and cultural enthusiasts.
From a macroeconomic perspective, the travel balance of payments data suggest that the inbound/outbound mix and the accompanying spending patterns have meaningful implications for Saudi Arabia’s current account and foreign exchange dynamics. The quarterly deficit reduction in the travel balance during the three months to September indicates improving efficiency in handling outbound travel alongside inbound demand, a sign that policymakers are managing the frictions that can accompany rising international travel. The nine-month surplus underscores that inbound tourism remains a net positive contributor to the country’s external accounts, reflecting the long-term potential of tourism to broaden the manufacturing and services sectors, generate job opportunities, and expand the tax base. The positive trajectory helps to bolster confidence among investors and industry players who see tourism as a durable growth driver within Vision 2030’s diversification framework.
The policy environment also intersects with the Kingdom’s broader cultural and creative economy strategy. By combining enhanced visa options with strategic investments in cultural infrastructure and event programming, Saudi Arabia is building a compelling ecosystem that can attract global audiences and generate spillover effects for hospitality, food, retail, and transport sectors. The objective is not merely to attract footfall but to cultivate an ecosystem where travelers spend longer, spend more within the local economy, and return for repeated visits that deepen cultural and economic ties. In this sense, the visa program and cultural initiatives reinforce each other, driving a virtuous cycle of growth that aligns with the long-run ambition of establishing Saudi Arabia as a world-class destination for a wide spectrum of travelers.
Section 5 will examine the broader economic and strategic implications of these tourism trends within Vision 2030, including the role of cultural advancement and the tourism sector’s growth trajectory.
Vision 2030, cultural advancement, and the tourism growth trajectory
Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 framework envisions a diversified economy anchored by a vibrant, sustainable tourism sector that complements oil and non-oil growth engines. The spending patterns described earlier—driven by inbound tourism, outbound travel, and domestic consumption—support the vision’s objective of expanding non-oil revenue streams and developing a knowledge-based, service-oriented economy. The data show that inbound tourism spending is not only significant in magnitude but also highly connected to cultural and entertainment initiatives that enhance the Kingdom’s global image. By hosting art exhibitions and high-profile entertainment events, Saudi Arabia is actively building cultural capital and creating attractions that can appeal to a broad international audience, thereby contributing to the long-term goal of positioning the country as a high-value tourist destination.
The role of culture in the tourism strategy is multifaceted. It serves to enhance the attractiveness of the Kingdom to international visitors, expand the range of experiences available to inbound travelers, and support local cultural industries by providing platforms for artists, performers, and creators to showcase their work. This cultural acceleration also feeds into the tourism economy by attracting more visitors who contribute to hotel occupancy, restaurant revenue, retail spending, and local transportation demand. The result is a more resilient tourism ecosystem that can absorb cyclical volatility and convert it into sustained economic growth.
Furthermore, the Vision 2030 approach emphasizes the integration of tourism with broader urban development and regional growth plans. The emergence of Riyadh as a cultural and business hub mirrors the same principle applied to other major Saudi cities, creating a network of interconnected destinations that collectively raise the country’s global profile. The alignment of policy, cultural programming, and infrastructure development supports not only short-term spending growth but also long-term visitation potential, which can feed a diverse set of economic benefits across regions. The ongoing expansion of the visa framework and investor-friendly policies further strengthens the potential for inbound visitors to engage with the Saudi economy in meaningful ways, fostering knowledge exchange, investment, and longer-term tourism demand.
The inbound and outbound spending patterns also reflect a broader demographic and geographic diversification of the visitor base. As the Kingdom expands its appeal beyond religious travelers, it can attract younger, more diverse international cohorts seeking lifestyle experiences, sports and entertainment events, and immersive cultural programs. This diversification is crucial for stabilizing tourism revenue, reducing dependence on a single visitor type, and enabling more balanced growth across the year. The combination of policy enhancements, cultural programming, and investments in hospitality and infrastructure creates a platform for sustainable growth that can yield positive spillovers into employment, small business development, and regional development, all of which are central to Vision 2030’s inclusive growth objectives.
The performance metrics also point to ongoing opportunities to optimize the tourism value chain. This includes improving the visitor experience from admission to exit, optimizing transport and logistics around key destinations, expanding capacity during peak periods, and developing targeted marketing campaigns that speak to different traveler segments. The data indicate that there is substantial room to grow non-religious inbound segments—the leisure and business travel categories—while maintaining the substantial religious tourism base that remains a cornerstone of the Kingdom’s tourism economy. Strategic investments in experiential offerings, digital marketing, and cross-border collaboration will be essential to sustaining the momentum and ensuring that Saudi Arabia remains competitive on the global stage in a rapidly evolving tourism landscape.
Section 6 will discuss the seasonal patterns, climate considerations, and the operational implications for tourism-related industries.
Seasonal dynamics, climate considerations, and operational implications for tourism industries
Seasonality emerges as a central driver of tourism dynamics in Saudi Arabia, influenced by climate, religious calendars, and event scheduling. The data point that inbound spending in the second quarter reached SR47.6 billion in 2024, mirroring the 2023 pattern of SR48.93 billion in the same period, underscores the consistency of a mid-year peak in tourism activity. This seasonal uplift coincides with more temperate weather and a calendar populated with cultural events and opportunities for outdoor experiences, shopping, and entertainment. It also aligns with a period when both international travelers and domestic residents are likely to plan vacations, long weekends, and visits that leverage favorable climate conditions. Conversely, the third quarter of 2023 recorded a notable drop in expenditures, at SR19.68 billion, a downturn closely tied to peak summer heat that historically suppresses travel demand. This seasonal contrast highlights the importance of climate-aware demand management for the tourism sector, including marketing timing, product development, and capacity planning for hotels, attractions, and transportation networks.
The seasonal pattern also interacts with religious travel flows, which can amplify or dampen seasonality depending on the timing of Hajj, Ramadan, and other religious observances. During periods of heightened religious activity, inbound travelers may flock to religious sites and associated accommodations, temporarily elevating demand and spending in specific cities and districts. Outside these peak religious windows, leisure and business travel may drive more evenly distributed activity across the year, albeit with intrinsic seasonality tied to school holidays and regional climate conditions. The challenge for the tourism sector is to balance reliance on religious travel with the growth of leisure and business segments that can cushion seasonality and contribute to a more stable revenue mix over the calendar year.
From an operational perspective, the implications for hospitality, travel services, and cultural venues are significant. Operators must anticipate surges in demand during peak quarters and ensure adequate staffing, inventory, and service quality to meet expectations. For inbound travelers seeking religious destinations, efficient logistics, streamlined visa processing, and robust hospitality ecosystems are essential for delivering a seamless experience during periods of high demand. At the same time, the rise of non-religious inbound tourism underscores the need to diversify product offerings and to invest in culturally rich experiences that attract visitors year-round, thereby smoothing revenue streams and strengthening the resilience of the tourism sector to climate-related shocks.
Moreover, the seasonal performance signals opportunities for targeted marketing and product development. Marketing campaigns timed to align with the second-quarter peak can highlight a slate of cultural events, national celebrations, and entertainment programs designed to draw in international visitors who may be seeking a comprehensive Saudi experience beyond religious pilgrimage. On the supply side, investments in hotel capacity, regional transport connectivity, and hospitality training can enhance the Kingdom’s ability to accommodate higher visitor volumes without compromising the quality of the guest experience. These operational considerations are critical to maintaining sustainable growth in inbound tourism and to ensuring that Saudi Arabia’s tourism economy remains robust across seasons.
Section 7 will address the role of major destinations in attracting inbound visitors and how city-level strategies align with national objectives.
City-level dynamics: top destinations, visitor profiles, and growth opportunities
Saudi Arabia’s top inbound destinations—Makkah, Madinah, and Riyadh—play distinct roles in shaping the country’s tourism landscape and spend patterns. Makkah remains the premiere destination for religious tourism, drawing the largest volume of visitors in 2023 at 15.4 million. This concentration reflects its centrality to the pilgrim routes and its enduring religious significance, which not only drives high visitor numbers but also elevates the share of inbound spending associated with religious travel. The scale of Makkah’s inbound activity underscores the need for targeted infrastructure and services that can support large crowds, including housing capacity, transportation, security, and hospitality options that can accommodate peak religious seasons while preserving visitor experience.
Madinah, with 9.6 million visitors in 2023, reinforces its status as a critical secondary destination that balances religious importance with broader cultural and historical appeal. The city’s religious significance continues to be a major driver of visitation, while opportunities for cultural enrichment and heritage exploration attract visitors who seek a more diversified itinerary. Riyadh’s emergence as a major inbound destination—2.8 million visitors in 2023—highlights the capital’s growing role as a cultural and business hub. This growth signals a shift toward a more diversified inbound profile that includes arts, museums, entertainment events, conferences, and high-end dining and retail experiences. The combination of these three cities illustrates a geographic spread of inbound demand that supports a more resilient national tourism footprint.
From a spending perspective, religious tourism dominates the inbound spend share, comprising 55% of total inbound expenditure at SR77.4 billion in 2023. This dominance reflects not only the large number of religious travelers but also the per-visitor spending patterns associated with pilgrimage-related services, accommodations, and ancillary expenditures in and around sacred sites. In contrast, visits to relatives and families—representing 19% of inbound spending at SR26.3 billion—and leisure tourism—contributing SR21.6 billion—highlight the value of non-religious travel and its potential for growth as the Kingdom expands its leisure and cultural offerings. Ensuring balanced development across these destination types and traveler segments will be crucial for maintaining diversified, sustainable inbound tourism growth.
City-level strategies should focus on enhancing the visitor experience across religious and non-religious segments. For Makkah, this means scalable logistics and services that can accommodate large pilgrimage flows while continuing to offer a high-quality experience for pilgrims. For Madinah, there is an opportunity to expand cultural and heritage programming that complements religious travel and broadens the visitor’s itinerary. For Riyadh, continued investment in cultural institutions, entertainment venues, and mixed-use developments can further strengthen its appeal as a cosmopolitan destination capable of drawing international travelers with varied interests. The synergy between these city-specific approaches and national policy objectives is essential for cultivating a resilient, diversified tourism economy that contributes to Vision 2030’s long-run goals.
The travel spending dynamics and destination profiles together reveal a nuanced picture of Saudi Arabia’s inbound tourism landscape. The data show a robust religious tourism foundation while also revealing a strong potential to grow leisure and business travel. The government’s visa policy improvements and cultural programming are well-positioned to support this diversification, enabling more visitors to experience multiple facets of Saudi Arabia’s offerings and increasing the likelihood of repeat visits. As the tourism sector evolves, city-level strategies will need to be aligned with national objectives, ensuring that each destination can deliver a unique value proposition while contributing to a cohesive national tourism brand.
Section 8 will wrap up with a forward-looking conclusion, synthesizing the data into an overarching outlook for Saudi Arabia’s tourism trajectory.
Conclusion
Saudi Arabia’s tourism data for the period ending in September reveal a dynamic and evolving landscape characterized by strong domestic spending, rising outbound travel, and a favorable travel balance in the nine-month window. The quarterly inbound spend of SR25.05 billion, coupled with outbound spending of SR26.33 billion, underscores a complex interaction between domestic tourism demand, international mobility, and the broader economic framework that supports travel activity. The travel balance’s deficit improvement of 33.83% in the quarter signals an efficiency gain in balancing outbound demands with inbound inflows, while the nine-month surplus of SR40.17 billion confirms the tourism sector’s capacity to contribute positively to Saudi Arabia’s external accounts and overall macroeconomic resilience.
The inbound side’s growth pattern is shaped by a blend of religious pilgrimage and secular travel, with religious tourism accounting for a majority share of spending in 2023 at 55% (SR77.4 billion) and non-religious travel comprising the remainder through VFR and leisure segments. The seasonal rhythm—marked by a second-quarter peak and a summer-dampened third quarter—highlights the importance of climate-aware planning and diversified product development to sustain demand across the year. The country’s strategic initiatives, including the Visiting Investor visa and a continuing push to host cultural and entertainment events, align with Vision 2030’s ambition to elevate Saudi Arabia’s status as a top global tourist destination by the end of the decade. The city-level breakdown shows Makkah’s dominant religious draw, Madinah’s significant religious and heritage role, and Riyadh’s rising prominence as a cultural and business hub, collectively demonstrating a multi-faceted inbound tourism profile that supports diversification and resilience.
Looking ahead, the tourism trajectory in Saudi Arabia points to continued growth driven by a balance of religious heritage, cultural programming, and business and leisure travel. While religious tourism will remain a core pillar, expanding non-religious segments through visa initiatives, infrastructure development, and targeted marketing will be critical to achieving sustained, year-round inbound demand. The alignment of policy measures with cultural and entertainment programming is likely to enhance the country’s appeal to international travelers, foster longer stays, and translate into greater per-visitor spend. If these trends persist, Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector will continue to serve as a cornerstone of Vision 2030, contributing to economic diversification, job creation, and the development of a vibrant, globally integrated tourism economy.
