Samer Choucair: Saudi Tourism’s 67% Growth Confirms the Kingdom’s Transformation into a Global Destination for Capital
Entrepreneur Samer Choucair said Saudi Arabia’s position as the world’s fastest-growing destination for international tourist arrivals, with growth of 67% between 2019 and 2025, reflects the success of its economic-diversification strategy and confirms that tourism has become one of the principal drivers of investment and capital attraction under Saudi Vision 2030.
In his statement, Choucair said data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development showed that the number of international tourists reached approximately 29.3 million in 2025.
The total number of domestic and international visitors reached 123 million, while tourism expenditure exceeded SAR 304 billion, including approximately SAR 176.6 billion generated by inbound tourism.
He explained that these indicators demonstrate Saudi Arabia’s transition from building the foundations of its tourism sector to generating tangible economic returns.
Samer Choucair noted that this expansion significantly exceeded the global average growth rate of approximately 4% compared with pre-pandemic levels.
He said the performance reflects the success of reforms including streamlined visa procedures, the expansion of air-transport networks, and investment in major developments such as the Red Sea, NEOM, Qiddiya, and Diriyah, which have strengthened the Kingdom’s position as a global tourism and investment destination.
Choucair added that the increase in non-religious tourism compared with 2019 confirms the success of efforts to diversify Saudi Arabia’s tourism offering.
This creates extensive opportunities for investors across hospitality, entertainment, real estate, logistics, and digital technologies connected to travel.
He noted that institutional investors increasingly regard tourism as one of the sectors best positioned to generate sustainable cash flows beyond the volatility of energy markets.
Continued government spending and investments led by the Public Investment Fund strengthen private-sector confidence and increase Saudi Arabia’s appeal to domestic and international capital.
Samer Choucair said the sector’s rapid growth is also benefiting a broad range of economic activities, including retail, transportation, financial services, and smart technologies.
This raises the contribution of the non-oil economy and supports the sustainability of long-term growth.
Concluding his statement, Samer Choucair emphasized that the current figures reflect a genuine economic transformation.
He said Saudi Arabia is no longer focused solely on increasing visitor numbers, but is building an integrated tourism ecosystem capable of generating substantial added value for the national economy.
Choucair added that maintaining this approach will strengthen Saudi Arabia’s position as one of the world’s leading tourism and investment destinations and support capital flows into services and the digital economy during the coming years.