8.6 Million Gulf Tourists Visited Saudi Arabia in 2023
Tourism from GCC states contributed over SAR 15 billion to the Saudi economy.
In 2023, Saudi Arabia saw a significant influx of tourists from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, with 8.6 million visitors contributing to a total expenditure of over SAR 15 billion. The tourists comprised citizens, expatriates and foreign visitors crossing from Gulf countries.
Among the GCC states, Bahrain ranked first, sending 3.4 million tourists to Saudi Arabia. Kuwait followed closely with over 2.3 million tourists, while the United Arab Emirates came third with nearly 1.4 million visitors. Qatar accounted for approximately 1.1 million tourists, and Oman had the lowest number with 455,000 tourists.
In total, more than 27 million tourists from abroad visited Saudi Arabia in 2023. The combined spending by all tourists, both local and foreign, exceeded SAR 141 billion. The total number of local and foreign tourists in 2023 surpassed 109 million, highlighting Saudi Arabia's growing appeal as a major tourism destination in the region.
