Saudi Arabia ranks first globally in tourism revenue growth: Quality of Life Report

RIYADH — Saudi Arabia ranked first globally for growth in international tourism receipts during the first quarter of 2025, while the Quality of Life Program contributed SR78 billion to the Kingdom's GDP according to the program's 2025 annual report. The Quality of Life Program — which helped create 387,000 jobs — highlighted major achievements across tourism, urban development, culture, sports, entertainment, and municipal services, underscoring the Kingdom's progress in enhancing quality of life and advancing sustainable development. According to the report, the program's contribution to non-government investment totaled SR21.8 billion, while the local content ratio rose to 44 percent, surpassing the target of 37 percent. **media[2740158]** The report highlighted tourism as one of the program's strongest-performing sectors. During the summer, Saudi Arabia welcomed more than 32 million domestic and international visitors, a 26 percent increase over the previous season, while tourism spending exceeded SR53.2 billion, up 15 percent. International tourist arrivals also surged 102 percent, far exceeding the global growth rate of 3 percent and the Middle East average of 44 percent, placing Saudi Arabia third globally and second regionally for growth in international tourist arrivals. The report also highlighted the launch of the Global Quality of Life Index, which has attracted participation from more than 90 cities in 35 countries and has been incorporated into the strategic plan of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), reinforcing Saudi Arabia's leadership in urban quality-of-life initiatives. As for locals, citizen satisfaction with municipal services reached 85 percent, exceeding the target of 74 percent. **media[2740159]** In urban development, the Saudi Architecture Map, launched by Crown Prince and Mohammed bin Salman, introduced 19 architectural styles inspired by the Kingdom's geographical and cultural heritage. Meanwhile, the Foras platform connected 49 government entities with the private sector by offering more than 19,000 investment opportunities, generating contract returns exceeding SR9 billion. The entertainment sector expanded to 954 licensed venues and hosted 40 unique events. More than 42,000 people benefited from training and development programs across 10 cities, while 33 startups were incubated and 110 businesses received support through financing and financial guarantee programs. In the cultural sector, the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Global Center for Arabic Calligraphy opened in Madinah, while the Red Sea Museum was inaugurated in Historic Jeddah. **media[2740157]** Cultural event days reached 6,314, more than double the 2025 target of 3,010 days, while the number of visitable national heritage sites reached 232, meeting the annual target. The report also highlighted progress in sports, with 59.1 percent of adults now engaging in physical activity. More than 230,000 participants benefited from the Sports for All platform, which includes over 9,000 sports groups. As for the security sector, the Unified Security Operations Center (911) was inaugurated in Madinah as the Kingdom's fourth such facility, integrating 28 operations rooms into a unified system serving security, government, and public service agencies. The report said the achievements recorded in 2025 reflect continued progress toward the goals of the Quality of Life Program, reinforcing Saudi Arabia's position as a global model for urban development, quality of life, and sustainable development. The Quality of Life Program, one of the flagship initiatives under Saudi Vision 2030.