Saudi Arabia’s tourism industry saw notable growth in the first half of 2025 drawing a total of 60.9 million visitors from both inside and outside the country. According to figures released by the Ministry of Tourism travelers spent more than the SR161.4 billion during this period marking a 4% increase compared to the first half of 2024.
The data highlighted that international visitors stayed on average 6.7 nights, while domestic travelers averaged a much longer stay of 18.6 nights. Most trips were motivated by leisure activities, shopping, and sporting events, which together formed the largest share of travel reasons.
Makkah and Madinah continued to be the leading magnets for international tourists as largely due to their status as religious destinations. Within Saudi Arabia, residents preferred to visit Riyadh and the Eastern Province for leisure and vacations.
Egypt, Pakistan and Kuwait were the leading source countries for inbound tourists while India and Indonesia also featured among the top five markets sending travelers to the Kingdom. When it came to lodging 43% of visitors selected hotels to followed by furnished apartments and private homes as popular accommodations.
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