Riyadh – Sharikat Mubasher: Saudi Arabia hit a historic milestone in 2024, receiving 29.7 million inbound tourists, the highest number ever recorded for the Kingdom.

According to the Ministry of Tourism’s latest annual report, inbound tourism spending surged to SAR 168.5 billion, reflecting a 19% increase compared to 2023.

March 2024 marked the peak month, with 3.2 million tourists visiting the country, supported by strong promotional campaigns and enhanced travel offerings. Notably, non-religious tourism accounted for 59% of inbound trips, up from 44% in 2019, a shift driven by the booming leisure segment.

Leisure tourism, including recreation, shopping, and sports, led the growth in non-religious visits, rising 20% from the previous year and 565% compared to 2019, with SAR 36.4 billion in total spending.

Asia and the Pacific was the top source region, contributing 9.7 million tourists (33%), followed by the MENA region with 8.4 million (28%), and the GCC with 8 million (27%).

At the country level, Egypt ranked first with 3.2 million tourists, followed by Pakistan (2.8M) and Bahrain (2.6M). On the destination side, Makkah Al-Mukarramah remained the top city, welcoming 17.4 million overnight visitors in 2024.