Saudi Arabia is increasingly targeting Chinese tourists: China is becoming a key market for Vision 2030's tourism ambitions
Saudi Arabia is directing its tourism strategy ever more clearly toward China, a market that Riyadh considers one of the decisive ones for achieving the goals of the Vision 2030 program. According to statements by Saudi Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al Khateeb and announcements by the state agency Saudi Press Agency, the Kingdom wants to attract five million Chinese tourists by 2030, and this goal is linked to a greater number of direct flights, simplified travel, cooperation with Chinese tourism platforms and the adaptation of services to Chinese guests. At the center of the strategy is not only increasing the number of arrivals, but also turning Saudi Arabia into a globally recognizable destination that no longer relies primarily on religious travel and business arrivals. In that plan, China is viewed as a market with great consumer power, but also as a political and economic partner with which tourism cooperation fits into the broader framework of relations between Beijing and Riyadh.
China as a source of guests and a strategic partner
According to an interview that Saudi Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al Khateeb gave to the Xinhua agency in November 2025, China is a "very important market" for Saudi Arabia and a strategic partner in tourism development. The minister then stated that the number of Chinese tourists coming to Saudi Arabia for holidays and leisure was expected to increase to around half a million in 2025, while three years earlier it had been around 100,000. The target of five million Chinese visitors by 2030 was therefore not presented as a short-term campaign, but as a multi-year project that requires more flights, stronger promotion, better preparation of tourism infrastructure and continuous cooperation with China's public and private sectors. According to the same source, the Saudi side is already working on training guides in the Chinese language, introducing signs in Chinese at tourist locations and expanding an offer that is understandable to guests from China. For Saudi Arabia, the Chinese market carries special weight because Chinese travelers strongly influence global tourism flows and spending. According to UN Tourism data carried by the official website of the Chinese government, Chinese tourists abroad spent 196.5 billion US dollars in 2023, making China the world's leading market by spending in international tourism. Although global travel patterns after the pandemic are still changing, that figure explains why many destinations are competing precisely for Chinese guests. Saudi Arabia is not counting only on mass tourism, but also on travelers interested in cultural heritage, luxury holidays, business events, sports content and new destinations being developed as part of state megaprojects.
Approved destination status opened the door to group travel
One of the important steps in moving closer to the Chinese market was Approved Destination Status, which, according to the Saudi Press Agency, enabled China to organize group tourist trips to Saudi Arabia. The Saudi side announced that the official status came into effect on July 1, 2024, after a series of bilateral meetings and Saudi participation in tourism events in China, including ITB China in Shanghai. This status is particularly important for markets in which organized travel still has a significant share, because it makes it easier for travel agencies to sell packages, plan routes and cooperate with local partners. According to the announcement by the Saudi state agency, the agreement was presented as a turning point that should increase air connectivity, open new opportunities in the tourism ecosystem and deepen exchange between the two countries. Saudi tourism policy toward China is therefore not limited only to advertising landmarks. It includes work with Chinese travel agencies, online platforms, payment systems and technology companies, because the digital habits of Chinese travelers are extremely important in choosing destinations and paying for services. In the context of ADS, the Saudi Press Agency mentioned partnerships with Chinese brands and platforms such as UnionPay, Trip.com, Huawei and Tencent. Such cooperation should make reservations, payments, communication and access to information easier, which is important for a market where travel decisions are often made through mobile applications and social networks. Saudi Arabia is thus trying to remove in advance obstacles that could make it harder for Chinese tourists to arrive or reduce their spending during their stay.
Air connectivity as a condition for growth
One of the biggest practical challenges for achieving Saudi ambitions is air connectivity. According to the Saudi Press Agency, Saudi Arabia, before and after the activation of approved destination status, increased the number of connections with China through new direct flights by Air China, China Eastern and China Southern, alongside the existing flights of the Saudi company Saudia. The same announcement stated that these initiatives meant a 130 percent increase in inbound seat capacity and a doubling of weekly flight frequency compared with the year before. The Air Connectivity Program, Saudi Arabia's program for encouraging international air routes, also announced individual agreements with Chinese carriers, including flights from Shanghai, Beijing and Shenzhen to Riyadh. Without regular and accessible flights, the target of five million Chinese tourists by 2030 would be difficult to achieve, regardless of marketing investment or the attractiveness of tourism projects.
Air connectivity is also important because Saudi Arabia is trying to become a broader regional hub between Asia, Europe and Africa. The development of King Salman International Airport in Riyadh and the launch of the new national airline Riyadh Air fit into the ambition to position the capital as a larger international transport center. In an interview with Xinhua, Minister Al Khateeb emphasized that Saudi Arabia is encouraging Chinese airlines to operate direct flights to Riyadh and is cooperating with Chinese online tourism platforms to strengthen tourism exchange. Such an approach shows that the Saudi plan is not only to bring tourists to individual resorts, but to shape the entire travel chain: from the decision to travel and buying a ticket to arrival, visiting destinations and spending on site. For travelers planning a route through Riyadh, AlUla or the Red Sea coast, an overview of the accommodation offer in Saudi Arabia can be a practical part of travel preparation, especially because the country's tourism map is changing rapidly.
Tourism as part of economic diversification
The focus on China is part of Saudi Arabia's broader effort to turn tourism into one of the main pillars of the economy outside oil. According to the Ministry of Tourism of Saudi Arabia, the country recorded around 116 million domestic and international tourists in 2024, which was six percent more than in 2023. Data from the Ministry and the DataSaudi portal show that among them there were around 29.7 million international tourists and 86.2 million domestic tourist trips, while total tourism spending for domestic and inbound tourism reached approximately 284 billion Saudi riyals. The Ministry emphasized that the number of international tourists in 2024 was the highest so far, and inbound tourism spending rose to 168.5 billion riyals. These results are important because Saudi Arabia had previously exceeded the original target of 100 million visits, so the target for 2030 was raised to 150 million visitors.
In this context, Chinese tourists are not just an additional market segment, but part of the puzzle that should increase the share of international arrivals and spending. Saudi Arabia already has strong domestic tourism and a large market for religious travel to Mecca and Medina, but the development of leisure, cultural, sports and business tourism requires a broader international guest base. Chinese visitors can contribute to filling new hotels, increasing airport traffic, developing tourist guides and creating demand for services in destinations that are still being built or are only just entering the global market. According to official Saudi sources, tourism in Vision 2030 is viewed as a sector that creates jobs, encourages investment and reduces the economy's dependence on oil revenues.
The country's new tourism map
In recent years, Saudi Arabia has been systematically building a new tourism offer that should complement traditional forms of arrivals. The official Vision 2030 website lists NEOM, The Red Sea, Diriyah, Qiddiya, AlUla, Amaala and other projects related to tourism, heritage, nature and entertainment among the key projects. AlUla is being developed as a cultural and archaeological destination with international recognition, Diriyah as a historical center connected with the emergence of the Saudi state, and projects along the Red Sea target guests interested in luxury holidays, nature and coastal content. Qiddiya is focused on entertainment, sport and events, while Riyadh is increasingly taking on the role of a business and conference center. Such diversity is crucial for attracting Chinese travelers of different profiles, from organized groups to wealthier individual guests.
However, the development of new destinations also brings operational challenges. Tourism infrastructure must expand faster than demand grows, and services must be adapted to guests who come with different expectations, dietary habits, languages and digital platforms. According to statements by Saudi officials reported by Xinhua, the Kingdom is therefore working on Chinese signs, Chinese-speaking guides and the availability of authentic Chinese restaurants. This shows that Riyadh understands that attracting large numbers of Chinese tourists does not depend only on landmarks, but also on a sense of safety, simplicity and recognizability during travel. In competition with destinations in Southeast Asia, Europe and other parts of the Middle East, Saudi Arabia must prove that it can offer not only new locations, but also a standard of service that meets market expectations.
Visa regime and digital travel planning
Simplifying entry into the country is another element of Saudi Arabia's shift toward broader international tourism. The official Visit Saudi portal for tourist e-visas lists China, including Hong Kong and Macao, among the countries whose citizens can apply for an electronic tourist visa. On the state portal KSA Visa, the tourist visit visa is described as a visa intended for visitors who want to explore Saudi Arabia as a tourist destination. In combination with ADS for group travel, the e-visa for individual travelers creates two important arrival channels: organized packages and independently planned trips. This is especially important for younger and digitally active travelers who are increasingly planning trips directly through applications, social networks and online platforms.
Saudi Arabia is also trying to align visa policy, promotion and digital services. Partnerships with Chinese platforms can help with the visibility of Saudi destinations, but also with practical issues such as payments, customer support, translation and itinerary recommendations. For Chinese travelers considering Saudi Arabia for the first time, such details can be decisive because the destination does not yet have a long tradition of leisure tourism comparable to Thailand, Japan, the United Arab Emirates or European cities. Saudi Arabia's advantage may be the novelty of the market and strong investment momentum, while the challenges are lower familiarity, the need for clear information and the development of tourism services in destinations that are still taking shape. That is why the question of China cannot be viewed only as a statistical target, but as a test of Saudi Arabia's ability to adapt to one of the most demanding and influential tourism markets in the world.
Broader significance for relations between Riyadh and Beijing
Tourism cooperation builds on already strong economic and political ties between Saudi Arabia and China. In his interview with Xinhua, Minister Al Khateeb emphasized that China is Saudi Arabia's largest trading partner and expressed the ambition for it to become the most important tourism partner as well. Tourism has the role of a "soft" link in this relationship: it increases people-to-people contacts, builds destination recognition and can encourage additional investment in hotels, infrastructure, transport and services. In their statements, Saudi officials often connect tourism goals with cultural understanding and economic development, which shows that the sector is also viewed as part of foreign-policy positioning. For China, stronger tourism ties with Saudi Arabia fit into a broader expansion of travel routes and economic relations with the Middle East.
Still, achieving the target of five million Chinese tourists by 2030 will depend on several factors that are not fully under the control of the Saudi authorities. These include the pace of recovery of Chinese outbound travel, air ticket prices, global economic conditions, regional security perceptions and the ability of the tourism sector to maintain a high quality of service. Saudi Arabia has achieved strong growth in the total number of visitors over a short period, but moving from growth driven by the domestic and regional market to a large share of long-haul international guests requires different operational standards. If plans for air links, service adaptation and promotion continue to be implemented, the Chinese market could become one of the most visible indicators of the success of Saudi Arabia's tourism pivot.
Sources:
- Saudi Press Agency – announcement about Approved Destination Status, the target of five million Chinese tourists and the increase in air capacity toward China (link)
- Saudi Press Agency – official announcement about China's approval of Saudi Arabia as a destination for group travel (link)
- Ministry of Tourism of Saudi Arabia – data on 116 million tourists in 2024, tourism spending and growth in inbound tourism (link)
- DataSaudi – overview of official tourism sector indicators in 2024 (link)
- Xinhua – interview with Ahmed Al Khateeb about the Chinese market, tourism goals and the adaptation of services to Chinese travelers (link)
- Visit Saudi eVisa – official list of countries whose citizens can apply for a Saudi electronic tourist visa (link)
- KSA Visa – official state portal for types of Saudi visas, including the tourist visit visa (link)
- Saudi Vision 2030 – overview of key projects related to tourism, heritage, nature and entertainment (link)
- Official website of the Chinese government – data carried from UN Tourism on the spending of Chinese tourists abroad in 2023 (link)