The Saudi Ministry of Tourism said the total number of tourists during the first half of 2023, reached 53.6 million, including 14.6 million inbound travelers and 39 million local tourists, marking a growth in the number of incoming visitors by 142 percent.
Al Ula, famous complex of tombs Mada in Saleh © Mena Today
The Saudi Ministry of Tourism said the total number of tourists during the first half of 2023, reached 53.6 million, including 14.6 million inbound travelers and 39 million local tourists, marking a growth in the number of incoming visitors by 142 percent.
In the preliminary data of tourism statistics for the first half of 2023, the ministry noted that the total tourism spending in the Kingdom reached SAR 150 billion ($40 billion), distributed between SAR 86.9 billion from incoming tourism, and SAR 63.1 billion from domestic tourism.
Local tourism spending increased by 16 percent, while spending by foreign tourists rose by 132 percent.
According to the ministry, tourists visiting the country for entertainment and holidays represented 43 percent of the total, with a growth rate of 18 percent in the first half of 2023, compared to the same period last year.
A defence pact signed between Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia is technically the same as NATO's Article 5 mutual defence agreement, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Saturday, adding the accord was not targeting Iran.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi met Saudi general intelligence chief Khalid al-Humaidan on Friday to discuss coordination over regional security developments, the prime minister's office said.
Saudi Arabia expects imminent coordinated attacks from Iraqi militias north of the Gulf state and from Yemen's Houthis from the south under the supervision of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a senior Saudi official said.
To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.
Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.