International visitors spend nearly SR50 billion in Saudi Arabia during Q1 2025

Dubai: Saudi Arabia has recorded unprecedented growth in international visitor spending, reaching SR49.4 billion in the first quarter of 2025, a 9.7 per cent increase compared to the same period in the year before, according to travel item data in the balance of payments for May, published by the Ministry of Tourism.

The kingdom also posted a travel account surplus of SR26.8 billion during the same period, marking an 11.7 per cent rise year-on-year.

According to the ministry, the strong performance reflects the success of coordinated efforts by the tourism ecosystem to boost the sector’s contribution to the national economy.

The growth further highlights the sector's ongoing development and its role as a key pillar of the kingdom’s economic transformation.

The ministry emphasised that the results underscore the effectiveness of its strategy to position Saudi Arabia as a global tourism hub.

This includes the implementation of best practices in tourism development, the enhancement of services and experiences, and close collaboration with government entities to realise the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.