Saudi Arabia: 60 Million Tourists in the First Half of 2024

Saudi Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb indicated that "the total number of domestic and incoming tourists reached 60 million in the first half of 2024, with total spending exceeding 143 billion riyals (about 38 billion dollars)." The minister stated in a government press conference held by the Government Communication Center that the ambitions outlined in the national tourism strategy aim to reach over 150 million domestic and international tourists by 2030, having achieved 109 million tourists in the previous year. This will enhance the contribution of tourism to the gross domestic product to 10 percent by 2030 and increase employment rates from approximately 650,000 jobs in 2019 to 1.6 million jobs by 2030. Al-Khateeb added that the Tourism Development Fund has contributed more than 7.4 billion riyals to enable over 100 tourism projects across the Kingdom, exceeding a value of 35 billion riyals, which provide more than 7,500 hotel rooms and suites in tourist destinations.