Prime Highlights:
- Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector continued strong growth in the final quarter of 2025.
- The country is expanding tourism to support its Vision 2030 goal of reducing reliance on oil.
Key Facts:
- Licensed tourism establishments increased to 5,937 in Q4 2025 from 4,425 a year earlier, a 34.2% rise.
- Tourism employment reached 1.03 million workers, marking a 6.6% increase compared to 2024.
Background
Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector kept growing strongly in the last quarter of 2025. The number of licensed hospitality facilities rising 34.2% compared to the same period a year earlier, according to official figures.
Data from the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) showed that licensed tourism establishments reached 5,937 in the fourth quarter of 2025, up from 4,425 in the fourth quarter of 2024. Serviced apartments and other hospitality facilities made up 3,090 of these, while hotels accounted for 2,847.
This growth backs Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 plan, which aims to build tourism as part of the Kingdom’s push to reduce dependence on oil revenues. After hitting its earlier target of 100 million visitors, the National Tourism Strategy now sets its sights on attracting 150 million tourists by the end of the decade.
Hotel room occupancy climbed to 57.3% in the quarter, up from 56% in Q4 2024. Occupancy in serviced apartments and similar facilities held steady at 55.9%, showing little change from the previous year.
Guests stayed longer in hotels, with the average length of stay rising to 3.8 nights from 3.6 nights a year earlier. In serviced apartments and other facilities, the average stay went up to 2.2 nights, a 3.6% increase year-on-year.
Tourism employment grew to 1.03 million workers, a 6.6% rise from the same period in 2024. Saudi nationals made up 24% of the workforce, while non-Saudis accounted for 76%. Male employees represented 86.7% of the total, while female employees made up 13.3%.
