The Saudi Ministry of Tourism is the body responsible for regulating and promoting tourism in the Kingdom, with a mandate to grow the sector in line with the country’s standing and values. It was established in 2020 and it did not appear from nothing.
How the Saudi Ministry of Tourism came about
Formal regulation began with the Supreme Commission for Tourism in 2000, which established tourism as a major productive sector. In 2003 a Royal Decree merged the Antiquities Agency into the commission, adding antiquities to its remit.
The body was renamed the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities in 2008, and roughly seven years later the Council of Ministers renamed it again as the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage. That commission now forms the core of the ministry.
Structure of the Saudi Ministry of Tourism
The ministry was one of three created at the same time, alongside the Ministry of Sport and the Ministry of Investment. Its main headquarters sits in the Diplomatic Quarter of Riyadh.
It is headed by a minister appointed by Royal Decree, who is the principal official responsible for the ministry and a member of the Council of Ministers.
What the ministry does
The ministry manages, develops and promotes tourism with the aim of turning it into a significant economic resource. That work draws on historical depth, national cultural heritage, and the natural and tourist attractions spread across the country.
It targets one hundred million international and domestic tourists by 2030 through eight megaprojects and the development of three cities, each hosting three destinations. Sites have been categorized into twenty-four locations with strong potential, thirty-eight sites recognized locally or internationally, and five hundred supplementary sites of tourism importance.
By 2030 the ministry aims to create one million tourism jobs and raise localization through a human capacity development plan covering training and workforce capability. Employment pressure across the global sector was addressed when the tourism minister discussed the need for 90 million new jobs.
The tourism ecosystem
Six entities work together to deliver the national tourism strategy, each with defined responsibilities:
- Ministry of Tourism
- Saudi Tourism Authority
- Tourism Development Fund
- Tourism Development Council
- Saudi Red Sea Authority
- National Air Connectivity Program
The sector supports the gross domestic product by approximately 10 percent, provides over a million jobs for young people, lifts non-oil government revenue, supports the private sector and attracts foreign direct investment. Non-oil performance is tracked in reporting on non-oil sector growth.
The electronic tourist visa
In 2019 the Kingdom opened to tourists and launched an electronic tourist visa. Working with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the ministry exempted citizens of forty-nine countries from standard visa procedures in the first phase, allowing them to obtain the visa electronically or on arrival. Later phases are intended to widen that list.
Against about 41 million visits recorded until 2019, the strategy targets one hundred million annual visits by 2030 and a place among the world’s top five tourist-attracting countries, with tourism revenue rising to 10 percent of national income from 3 percent in 2019. Practical guidance is available in how to get a Saudi tourist visa, visa types and validity and tourist visa versus Umrah visa.
Frequently asked questions
When was the ministry established?
In 2020, built on the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage.
How many countries were exempted in the first visa phase?
Forty-nine, under the electronic tourist visa launched in 2019.
What is the 2030 visitor target?
One hundred million international and domestic tourists annually.
Where to go next
For destination planning, start with winter tourism, the best beaches and marine tourism. Destination listings are maintained on Visit Saudi.
