After years of relying heavily on its oil and gas industries, Saudi Arabia now wants to become a tourist destination. The Middle Eastern country, which had a GDP of $1.4 trillion in 2024, opened its doors to international leisure tourists in 2019, after years of only allowing travel for business, religious or family purposes.
“We are unlocking the value of this great country. We have a lot to offer to the world,” Saudi Arabia’s first tourism minister H.E. Ahmed Al Khateeb said at the Fortune Global Forum in Riyadh. “We want travelers to come and experience the Saudi hospitality, enjoy our coffee and food, and learn about Arabian culture.”
