Saudi Arabia is driving travel and tourism growth across the Middle East, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council's (WTTC) 2025 economic impact report.
Saudi Arabia's travel and tourism GDP rose by 7.4 percent in 2025 to $178 billion, representing 46 percent of the Middle East's total tourism economy – making the kingdom the largest travel and tourism market in the region.
The country's travel and tourism sector is expanding at nearly twice the global average growth rate of 4.1 percent, significantly outperforming other countries in the region, the WTTC revealed.
Amaala
International visitor spending in Saudi Arabia grew by 8.2 percent, surpassing the global average of 3.2 percent.
Via the Ministry of Tourism (Saudi Arabia), domestic performance has also been strong.
The kingdom recorded 28.9 million domestic visitors in the first quarter of 2026, a 16 percent increase year-on-year, alongside SAR 34.7 billion ($9.2bn) in tourism spending.
Other markets across the Middle East are delivering strong results, too. For example, the UAE's travel and tourism sector reached $68.5bn in GDP in 2025, with international visitor spending of $56.9bn.
Six Flags Qiddiya City
Gloria Guevara, president and CEO of the World Travel and Tourism Council, said: "The Middle East continued to deliver strong travel and tourism growth in 2025, with Saudi Arabia playing a central role in driving this success and emerging as a leader in the region, with growth nearly double the global average.
"The Middle East’s performance in 2025 highlighted the strength and long-term potential of travel and tourism, with the sector continuing to act as a key driver of economic growth, job creation, and international connectivity across the region."
From Qiddiya to Neom, Saudi Arabia has been busy developing new attractions and destinations in a bid to diversify the economy and reduce the kingdom's reliance on oil.
