RIYADH — Saudi Arabia ranked first worldwide in international tourism revenue growth during the first quarter of 2025, while the Kingdom’s Quality of Life Program contributed SR78 billion to the national economy, according to its 2025 Annual Report.

The report said the program supported the creation of 387,000 jobs and recorded significant progress across tourism, culture, sports, entertainment, urban development, and municipal services, reflecting Saudi Arabia’s ongoing efforts to improve quality of life and promote sustainable growth.

The program also generated SR21.8 billion in non-government investment, while the local content ratio increased to 44 percent, exceeding the annual target of 37 percent.

(Saudi Press Agency)

Tourism remained one of the program’s strongest-performing sectors. During the summer season, Saudi Arabia welcomed more than 32 million domestic and international visitors, representing a 26 percent increase compared with the previous season. Tourism spending also climbed to more than SR53.2 billion, up 15 percent year-on-year.

International tourist arrivals grew by 102 percent, significantly outperforming the global average growth of 3 percent and the Middle East average of 44 percent. The Kingdom ranked third globally and second in the region 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 across 35 countries and has been incorporated into the strategic plan of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat).

Citizen satisfaction with municipal services reached 85 percent, surpassing the program’s target of 74 percent.

(Saudi Press Agency)

In urban development, the Saudi Architecture Map, launched under the leadership of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, introduced 19 architectural styles inspired by the Kingdom’s diverse cultural and geographical identity.

The Foras investment platform connected 49 government entities with private-sector investors 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 major events. More than 42,000 people benefited from training and development programs across 10 cities, while 33 startups were incubated and 110 businesses received financial support through dedicated funding and guarantee initiatives.

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.

(Saudi Press Agency)

Cultural event days reached 6,314, more than double the annual target, and the number of accessible national heritage sites increased to 232, meeting the program’s objectives.

The report also highlighted continued progress in sports, with 59.1 percent of adults now participating in physical activity. More than 230,000 people benefited from the Sports for All platform, which features over 9,000 sports groups across the Kingdom.

In the public safety sector, the Unified Security Operations Center (911) was inaugurated in Madinah as the Kingdom’s fourth integrated operations center, bringing together 28 operations rooms to improve coordination among security, government, and public service agencies.

According to the report, the achievements recorded in 2025 demonstrate continued progress toward the objectives of the Quality of Life Program, one of the flagship initiatives under Saudi Vision 2030, reinforcing the Kingdom’s position as a global leader in tourism, urban development, and quality of life.

Source:Saudi Gazette