‘Resilience is built before you need it’: Saudi tourism chief

Dubai: “Resilience is built before you need it,” Saudi Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb told the global travel trade in London on Tuesday. The kingdom is pushing its tourism drive through a war that has seen airport closures and dented its economy.

Al-Khateeb opened Saudi Land at World Travel Market (WTM) London on November 3. He used the stage to tell the industry that "Saudi tourism has demonstrated the strength of its foundations."

He spoke of how the sector has held up in the first half of 2026, welcoming about 61.2 million tourists, roughly 1 per cent more than a year earlier. Tourism spending reached about SAR151.9 billion. He emphasized that the Kingdoms target of150 million visitors by 2030 still stands.

Economy takes the hit

Saudi's GDP fell 4.7 per cent in the second quarter and 3.8 per cent in the third. The International Monetary Fund now forecasts a 3.3 per cent contraction for 2026. In July it had forecast 1.7 per cent growth.

Oil output has also dropped sharply. Production fell to 6.2 million barrels a day in August, according to the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington. Riyadh has redirected crude through a pipeline to its Red Sea terminal to avoid the disrupted Strait of Hormuz. Saudi authorities expect the budget deficit to reach 4.9 per cent of GDP. The IMF projects 7.9 per cent growth in 2027.

Air travel impacted

Iran and its Houthi allies in Yemen have been attacking targets inside Saudi Arabia, including cities, airports, energy sites and military bases, according to the US embassy in Riyadh. Strikes escalated on October 10, when a projectile hit a passenger terminal at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport, killing at least 12 people and wounding more than 300, officials said.

The airport reopened on October 17, but airlines need permission from the General Authority of Civil Aviation to operate there. Houthis claimed another strike on October 25, hours after flights resumed.

Terminal 1 now handles domestic flights. Terminal 2 serves international flights by Saudi carriers. Saudia and Riyadh Air moved some services to Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Qassim. Jeddah and Dammam are operating with delays and cancellations.

The US State Department has urged Americans to reconsider travel to Saudi Arabia. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency widened its airspace warnings. Many carriers including Emirates, Etihad, Luftansa and Delta have extended cancellations on Riyadh and Dammam routes stretching into November.