Saudi Arabia Records Highest Ever Inbound Tourism Spending Of SR 135 Billion In 2023

Saudi Arabia Records Highest Ever Inbound Tourism Spending Of SR 135 Billion In 2023

Saudi Arabia recorded the highest ever spending by inbound visitors during the year 2023, reaching SR135 billion, according to the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA).

The preliminary balance of payments data, released by SAMA, showed that this spending, the highest ever in the history of Saudi Arabia, represents a growth rate of 42.8 percent compared to the previous year of 2022, when the spending of inbound visitors reached SR94.5 billion. This record increase in spending by inbound tourists comes within a series of continuous successes achieved by the Kingdom’s thriving tourism sector.

It is noteworthy that Saudi Arabia topped the United Nations Tourism Ranking in terms of the growth of international tourist arrivals in 2023 compared to 2019 among the countries hosting major tourism destinations. The Kingdom recorded an increase of 56 percent in the number of incoming tourists in 2023 compared to 2019, according to the World Tourism Barometer report issued by the United Nations Tourism in January.

The report also indicated that the Kingdom has achieved a remarkable tourism recovery rate of 156 percent in the number of tourist arrivals during the year 2023 compared to 2019.

The outstanding achievements in the tourism sector have contributed to positioning Saudi Arabia as a leader