For years, Saudi Arabia’s influence on global travel was measured by who arrived, not who departed. Pilgrims, investors, executives — the world came to the Kingdom. Now the flow has reversed, and it is doing so with remarkable force.
Saudi travellers are heading out in record numbers, staying longer, flying better and spending more. They are also proving far less predictable than the industry once assumed. That matters because when a market grows to US$27.5 billion in outbound travel spend and is on track to nearly double within a decade, the rest of the world tends to adjust its behaviour accordingly.
That shift will be dissected in September when WTM Spotlight Riyadh holds its first Saudi edition at the Riyadh Front Exhibition & Convention Centre, drawing tourism boards, hotel groups and airlines keen to understand what Saudi travellers actually want rather than what glossy research decks claim they want.
According to Coherent Market Insights, Saudi Arabia’s outbound tourism market is expected to grow from US$27.5 billion in 2025 to US$47.8 billion by 2032. That is not speculative growth. It is underpinned by rising disposable income, near-universal digital adoption, and a population increasingly comfortable with cross-border travel.
The more interesting story, however, lies beneath the numbers.
Saudi travellers are not merely travelling more; they are travelling differently. London, Paris and Istanbul still loom large, but they no longer dominate itineraries the way they once did. Increasingly, Saudi families are looking to places such as Georgia and Azerbaijan for climate and value, Bosnia and Herzegovina for a European experience that feels culturally familiar, and parts of Southeast Asia, where halal infrastructure has matured quietly but decisively.
Research from Almosafer shows that international bookings by Saudi travellers beyond the MENA region rose 11 per cent in the first quarter of 2025, with international stays increasing 13 per cent. These are not stopover holidays. They are longer, more considered trips often involving extended family, multiple cities and carefully managed comfort.
Luxury, in this market, is not aspirational. It is assumed.
Data from Coherent Market Insights shows 41 per cent of Saudi travellers book five-star hotels, while another 32 per cent choose four-star accommodation. Daily spend on lodging alone routinely exceeds US$300, before flights, dining or shopping enter the equation. Unsurprisingly, 86 per cent fly full-service carriers, reinforcing a preference for reliability over novelty and service over savings.
Shopping remains central, not incidental, to the journey. For many Saudi travellers, retail is the holiday’s spine rather than a side trip, shaping destination choice and length of stay.
It is this combination of high yield, high expectations and increasing geographic curiosity that makes Saudi Arabia so commercially consequential.
“Saudi Arabia is fast emerging as one of the world’s most influential outbound tourism markets,” said Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME for Arabian Travel Market and WTM Spotlight Riyadh.
Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market and WTM Spotlight Riyadh
“Travellers increasingly seek elevated experiences in accommodation, culture and service, aiming for journeys that are both meaningful and memorable. WTM Spotlight Riyadh will unite global travel industry leaders to examine these trends and better understand Saudi national and expatriate traveller preferences.”
The event itself is designed to be measured rather than massive. Organisers expect around 450 exhibitors, 6,500 visitors, and 150 international hosted buyers, with a format built around pre-scheduled meetings rather than hopeful wandering. It reflects a broader industry acknowledgement that Saudi business is rarely won by chance.
Curtis argues that the outbound story cannot be separated from Saudi Arabia’s inbound ambitions, a balancing act the Kingdom is navigating with increasing confidence.
“WTM Spotlight Riyadh presents a timely opportunity for the global travel community to understand the high-value potential of Saudi Arabia’s outbound tourism and forge partnerships aligned with its expanding influence,” she said.
“At the same time, the event plays a critical role in advancing Saudi Arabia’s inbound tourism goals by connecting international buyers with the destinations, experiences and infrastructure shaping the Kingdom’s evolving role in global travel.”
For Australian tourism operators, the implications are practical rather than theoretical. This is a traveller who values discretion, expects flexibility and rewards destinations that understand family travel without turning it into theme-park theatre. Price matters less than precision, issues of authenticity more than novelty.
WTM Spotlight Riyadh sits within the broader WTM portfolio, alongside WTM London, WTM Africa, WTM Latin America, and Arabian Travel Market, but its significance lies in timing rather than branding. Saudi Arabia is no longer an emerging outbound market. It has emerged.
The destinations that thrive over the next decade will be those that noticed early and listened carefully.
by Jill Walsh – (c) 2025
Read time: 4 minutes.
About the Writer.
Jill Walsh has always had a pen within reach and a suitcase not far behind. She cut her teeth on media releases, then honed her craft shepherding press trips across half the globe—learning which stories travel well and which need a firmer edit.
In time, she wasn’t merely promoting places; she was representing them, translating civic ambition and local pride into words people wanted to read. Semi-retired now, Jill has swapped departure boards for deadlines, joining long-time colleague and friend Stephen at Global Travel Media on a casual basis.
Her beat is the business end of wanderlust: balance sheets, route maps, tender wins, the quiet numbers that decide where travellers actually go. She writes with tidy prose, dry humour and an old-school respect for facts, giving readers clarity without the clutter. In short, Jill brings seasoned judgement to travel’s moving parts—and a steady voice when the market gets noisy.
