Saudi Arabia’s Tourism Expansion: Makkah, Madinah, And Riyadh Prepare For Luxury Hotel Growth With Increased Visitor Numbers From Russia, Uk, Germany, Japan, Us, And China

Published on October 21, 2025

Saudi Arabia’s tourism scenery is undergoing a important transformation, driven by a surge successful edifice developments and a increasing influx of some home and world visitors. As portion of its eager Vision 2030 plan, nan Kingdom is group to build complete 362,000 edifice rooms by 2030 to accommodate a projected summation successful tourer arrivals. A ample information of this caller capacity, specifically 78%, will beryllium successful nan luxury, upscale, and upper-upscale edifice segments. With a projected 150 cardinal visitors expected to flock to nan Kingdom, nan hospitality manufacture is preparing to grip this monolithic demand.

As of early 2025, Saudi Arabia’s edifice banal stands astatine 167,500 keys, pinch 61% of these rooms classified arsenic luxury aliases upscale. The planned caller additions will elevate nan country’s entreaty arsenic a apical destination for high-end travelers, positioning it arsenic a cardinal subordinate connected nan world tourism map. This translator is already evident, pinch international hospitality giants for illustration Hilton, Marriott, and IHG starring nan complaint successful expanding their footprint crossed nan country.

The Rise of High-End Accommodation and Growing Visitor Numbers

Saudi Arabia’s attraction connected high-end edifice improvement reflects its increasing world estimation arsenic a luxury recreation destination. The Kingdom’s efforts to heighten its tourism infrastructure person resulted successful important increases successful world tourer spending, which deed a grounds SAR 153.61 billion (approx. US$ 40.9 billion) successful 2024, marking a 13.82% summation from nan erstwhile year. Despite this luxury-focused trend, location is besides a recognized request for much affordable accommodation options to cater to a wider scope of tourists, including those from nan home market.

A captious facet of nan Kingdom’s tourism maturation is nan MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) sector, which has been gaining traction arsenic portion of nan larger push to diversify Saudi Arabia’s tourism base. The improvement of cardinal events specified arsenic nan Asian Games 2029, Expo 2030, and FIFA World Cup 2034 are expected to tie millions of visitors, contributing heavy to nan wide economical boost.

Domestic and International Growth successful Tourism

As of 2024, Saudi Arabia’s tourism numbers show a important shift. The state welcomed 127 million visitors, pinch 30 million of them coming from world markets, marking a 9.5% summation from 2023. This maturation is partially fueled by nan eVisa platform, which has made it easier for visitors from countries specified arsenic Russia, nan UK, Germany, Japan, the US, and China to sojourn nan Kingdom. The level offers a one-year multiple-entry visa, allowing visitors to enactment for up to 90 days per sojourn for leisure, business, aliases family visits, adding to nan attractiveness of Saudi Arabia arsenic a destination.

While religious tourism remains a awesome driver of Saudi Arabia’s visitant numbers, non-religious tourism is steadily increasing. In 2024, 30% of each arrivals were leisure travelers, 24% visited friends aliases family, and business and educational recreation made up nan remainder. The diverseness successful traveler profiles reflects nan Kingdom’s expanding world entreaty beyond its belief significance.

Key Developments successful Makkah and Madinah

The belief tourism sector, peculiarly successful nan beatified cities of Makkah and Madinah, continues to beryllium a captious constituent of Saudi Arabia’s hospitality strategy. Major edifice developments are underway to support Hajj and Umrah pilgrims. In 2024, nan state hosted 1.8 million Hajj pilgrims and much than 35.7 million Umrah pilgrims, a important summation from erstwhile years. In fact, 16.9 million world Umrah pilgrims visited nan Kingdom successful 2024, marking a 25% summation from nan erstwhile year.

The beatified cities are seeing a reshaping of their landscapes pinch monolithic edifice projects, specified arsenic Rua Al Haram and Masar Makkah, which will adhd tens of thousands of luxury rooms. In total, complete 252,000 edifice rooms are planned for these cities, pinch nan mostly being 4- and 5-star accommodations. This is portion of a broader effort to position Saudi Arabia arsenic a apical world belief and luxury recreation destination.

Giga Projects and International Investments

Saudi Arabia is besides opening up its belief tourism hubs to international investment, particularly successful Makkah and Madinah, wherever respective large-scale projects are transforming nan area. The Kingdom’s determination to let world finance successful publically listed existent property firms operating successful these cities is expected to bring important superior into nan sector. This is portion of nan Kingdom’s broader efforts to modernize and turn its iconic tourism hubs.

With nan hosting of nan Expo 2030 unsocial expected to bring successful 40 cardinal visitors, Saudi Arabia’s hospitality and tourism manufacture is group for a monumental description . This will not only cater to nan increasing numbers of belief pilgrims but besides pull a divers scope of world travelers.

Travel Tips and What Visitors Should Expect

Travelers to Saudi Arabia should beryllium prepared for an evolving tourism segment pinch world-class hospitality and modern infrastructure. With nan ongoing improvement successful some luxury and affordable accommodation, visitors will person a wide scope of choices. Those readying to sojourn for business events, leisure, aliases religious tourism tin expect easy entree to celebrated destinations done nan eVisa platform, which simplifies recreation logistics.

Final Thoughts

Saudi Arabia’s hospitality assemblage is undergoing a important transformation, pinch an expanding web of high-end hotels, caller tourism developments, and world events boosting nan Kingdom’s appeal. The influx of world visitors, mixed pinch nan continued maturation of nan luxury edifice market, ensures that Saudi Arabia is connected way to meet its eager tourism targets for 2030. As nan Kingdom invests heavy successful its tourism infrastructure, it is mounting nan shape for a early of moreover greater world nickname arsenic a premium recreation destination.