Tourism Ministry: Nine Million GCC Tourists Spent Over SAR 15 Billion in 2023

The tourism sector in Saudi Arabia flourished in 2023, with 8.6 million visitors from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries injecting over SAR15 billion into the economy, according to the Ministry of Tourism's annual statistics report.The report identified Bahrain as the top GCC source market, with 3.4 million tourists, followed by Kuwait with 2.3 million, the UAE with 1.4 million, Qatar with 1.1 million, and Oman with 455,000 visitors.Overall, in 2023, Saudi Arabia welcomed a staggering 27 million international visitors who spent SAR141 billion in the Kingdom. The combined number of domestic and international tourists surpassed 109 million.The report highlights the strong growth and performance of the Saudi tourism sector, driven by increased visitor numbers from the GCC and other world regions. This has contributed significantly to the Saudi economy, and demonstrated the Kingdom's appeal as a premier tourism destination.Source: Saudi Press Agency