WTTC report: Saudi Arabia emerges as Mideast tourism leader as sector represents 14.1% of GDP

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has reported that Saudi Arabia has emerged as the leading tourism destination in the Middle East, accounting for approximately 14.1 percent of the country's GDP. The Kingdom's travel and tourism sector is expected to experience strong growth over the next decade, driven by increased investments, major tourism projects, and the realization of Saudi Vision 2030 objectives.

In 2025 alone, Saudi Arabia saw a 19.4 percent growth in tourism investment, bolstered by Vision 2030, investor-friendly reforms, and a pipeline of large-scale projects aimed at attracting both domestic and international capital. The WTTC anticipates that the Middle East will become the fastest-growing travel and tourism region globally between 2026 and 2036, with sector GDP projected to expand at an annual rate of 6.3 percent, reaching a value of $605 billion by 2036.

International visitor spending in Saudi Arabia is expected to more than double over the next decade, thanks to the expansion of tourist destinations, infrastructure, transportation networks, and enhanced visitor experiences.

Brief written by urgent.news from Saudi Gazette's own syndicated text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.