Foreign guests in hotels and similar establishments in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Foreign guests in hotels and similar establishments was 23.30 million guests in 2024. ▲ Rising
Foreign guests in hotels and similar establishments in Saudi Arabia, 2004–2024
Source: UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in guests.
Analysis
Saudi Arabia recorded 23.30 million guests for foreign guests in hotels and similar establishments in 2024. That is the highest value across all 21 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 11.1% on the previous year and up 90.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, foreign guests in hotels and similar establishments in Saudi Arabia peaked at 23.30 million guests in 2024 and was at its lowest, 2.13 million guests, in 2021.
Saudi Arabia ranks 8th of 139 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 21 years of available data.
Foreign guests in hotels and similar establishments in Saudi Arabia, year by year
| Year | guests | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 7.02 million guests | — |
| 2005 | 6.31 million guests | -10.1% |
| 2006 | 7.23 million guests | +14.5% |
| 2007 | 9.60 million guests | +32.8% |
| 2008 | 11.94 million guests | +24.4% |
| 2009 | 8.08 million guests | -32.4% |
| 2010 | 9.40 million guests | +16.4% |
| 2011 | 8.44 million guests | -10.3% |
| 2012 | 10.67 million guests | +26.5% |
| 2013 | 9.60 million guests | -10.0% |
| 2014 | 12.21 million guests | +27.1% |
| 2015 | 13.80 million guests | +13.0% |
| 2016 | 14.17 million guests | +2.7% |
| 2017 | 13.52 million guests | -4.6% |
| 2018 | 13.04 million guests | -3.5% |
| 2019 | 14.87 million guests | +14.1% |
| 2020 | 3.33 million guests | -77.6% |
| 2021 | 2.13 million guests | -35.9% |
| 2022 | 10.96 million guests | +414.0% |
| 2023 | 20.98 million guests | +91.4% |
| 2024 | 23.30 million guests | +11.1% |
Saudi Arabia compared with similar countries
- Saudi Arabia's 23.30 million guests is above the median for high income countries, which is 2.55 million guests, 9.1× the median. (66 countries reporting)
- Saudi Arabia's 23.30 million guests is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 1.41 million guests, 16.6× the median. (19 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Foreign guests in hotels and similar establishments in Saudi Arabia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | +414.0% | 2.13 million guests | 10.96 million guests |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 8.36 million guests | 6.31 million guests | 11.94 million guests | 6 |
| 2010s | 11.97 million guests | 8.44 million guests | 14.87 million guests | 10 |
| 2020s | 12.14 million guests | 2.13 million guests | 23.30 million guests | 5 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
More reference data data for Saudi Arabia
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.1847 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.4 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 2.44 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.1771 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 2.44 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.6194 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.2207 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 6.07 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 10.64 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.9641 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is foreign guests in hotels and similar establishments in Saudi Arabia?
- Foreign guests in hotels and similar establishments in Saudi Arabia was 23.30 million guests in 2024, according to UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest foreign guests in hotels and similar establishments recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 23.30 million guests in 2024.
- What is the lowest foreign guests in hotels and similar establishments recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.13 million guests in 2021.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for foreign guests in hotels and similar establishments?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 8th out of 139 countries with data for 2024.
- Is foreign guests in hotels and similar establishments rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 90.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Saudi Arabia data come from?
- The figures come from UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Foreign guests in hotels and similar establishments. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 21 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Number of international visitors who check in to hotels and similar accommodation establishments.