Middle East Travel & Tourism Soars as Saudi Arabia Fuels Development at Practically Twice the International Fee and Leads the Area

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) in the present day revealed that the Middle East is experiencing robust Travel & Tourism progress, with the sector increasing by 5.3% in 2025, outpacing the worldwide common of 4.1% and reinforcing the area’s place as one of many world’s most dynamic journey markets.

WTTC’s newest Economic Impact Research (EIR), a number one world examine of Travel & Tourism efficiency, highlights the area’s robust efficiency throughout key indicators, together with worldwide customer spending, home journey, and enterprise journey.

Middle East exhibits robust progress momentum

Travel & Tourism within the Middle East continues to outperform, with progress exceeding the worldwide common and likewise surpassing the broader regional financial system. International customer spending rose 5.2%, in comparison with 3.2% globally, reflecting robust demand and growing world connectivity.

The area’s Travel & Tourism sector contributed $385.8 billion to GDP in 2025, supporting 7.1 million jobs, underlining its rising financial significance.

Saudi Arabia drives regional momentum

At the guts of this progress is Saudi Arabia, the most important Travel & Tourism financial system within the area, accounting for $178 billion in GDP and 46% of the Middle East’s whole Travel & Tourism financial system.

The Kingdom continues to ship standout efficiency, with Travel & Tourism GDP rising 7.4% in 2025, practically double the worldwide sector progress fee of 4.1%, and round 40% increased than the regional Middle East common of 5.3%.

International customer spending additionally rose 8.2%, considerably outperforming the worldwide common of three.2%, additional underlining Saudi Arabia’s rising attraction as a number one world vacation spot and its place as a frontrunner within the area.

Business journey has been a very robust driver, with spending growing by over 55%, highlighting Saudi Arabia’s rising position as a worldwide hub for enterprise, occasions, and funding.

Alongside Saudi Arabia, different markets throughout the area are additionally delivering robust efficiency. The UAE’s Travel & Tourism sector reached $68.5 billion in GDP in 2025, with worldwide customer spending of $56.9 billion, reflecting its place as a significant world hub. Jordan recorded 5.5% progress in Travel & Tourism GDP, with worldwide customer spending reaching $8.5 billion, whereas Oman additionally noticed robust progress of 5.5%, alongside worldwide customer spending of $4.0 billion, highlighting continued momentum in 2025 throughout key GCC and regional markets. 

Business journey powers progress

Across the Middle East, enterprise journey is accelerating quickly, with spending rising 23% in 2025, making it one of many strongest-performing segments within the sector’s progress.

This progress displays elevated demand for in-person engagement, alongside the area’s increasing position in internet hosting main worldwide occasions, conferences, and funding exercise.

Against the backdrop of latest regional challenges, the Middle East’s Travel & Tourism sector continues to exhibit distinctive resilience, with restoration anticipated to be swift as soon as long run stability returns to the area. Supported by robust fundamentals, sustained funding, and its strategic position in world connectivity, the area stays nicely positioned to take care of its progress trajectory.

Unlocking continued long run progress

WTTC’s analysis highlights that sustained funding in infrastructure, connectivity, and vacation spot growth, alongside a concentrate on high-value journey and enterprise tourism, can be vital to sustaining this momentum over time.

By persevering with to strengthen public-private collaboration and improve the general journey ecosystem, international locations throughout the area are nicely positioned to additional enhance customer spending, create jobs, and drive long-term financial progress.

Gloria Guevara, President & CEO, WTTC, mentioned: “The Middle East continued to deliver strong Travel & Tourism growth in 2025, with Saudi Arabia playing a central role in driving this success and emerging as a leader in the region, with growth nearly double the global average.

The Middle East’s performance in 2025 highlighted the strength and long-term potential of Travel & Tourism, with the sector continuing to act as a key driver of economic growth, job creation, and international connectivity across the region.”

Note to Editors:

The figures in EIR 2026 are primarily based on 2025 actual costs and change charges, whereas EIR 2025 used 2024 actual costs and change charges, that means headline figures should not straight comparable. In addition, the 2025 knowledge printed in April 2025 was a forecast finalised earlier than the 12 months concluded, and all historic figures are topic to revision as up to date Tourism Satellite Accounts (TSAs) turn into accessible.

^{– ENDS –}

^{For media enquiries, please contact Paul Charles / Philip Allport /}

^{Rob Morris at The PC Agency by way of [email protected]}

 

^{About WTTC:}

^{The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) is the worldwide, private-sector voice of the Travel & Tourism business. Its members embody the Chairmen/ladies, Presidents and Chief Executives of the world’s main journey and tourism corporations, spanning airways, inns, cruise traces, tour operators, expertise corporations and extra. Through this unified membership, WTTC works with governments and worldwide establishments to drive sustainable progress, help exports, create jobs, and ship prosperity globally.}  

^{For greater than three a long time, WTTC has championed the financial and social contribution of Travel & Tourism. Its rigorous, data-driven analysis quantifies the sector’s affect — on GDP, employment, exports and wider societal advantages — serving to form insurance policies, elevate consciousness, and foster public-private collaboration. www.wttc.org}