Tourism for exhibitions and conferences in Saudi Arabia is expected to grow by 11% over the next 10 years

The World Travel and Tourism Council in Saudi Arabia expects the exhibition and conference tourism sector to grow by 11% annually for the next ten years, making it the fastest growing in the Middle East.

This came as a result of the increasing importance of the Kingdom on the global economic arena, and efforts to attract investments and businesses, which supports the broader picture of the sector.

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Tourism for exhibitions and conferences is an essential component of the tourism sector around the world, and Saudi Arabia is no exception.

The General Authority for Exhibitions and Conferences in Saudi Arabia issued 1,322 licenses last October alone, with an annual growth of 25%.

In the last quarter of the year, Saudi Arabia witnessed about 200 events between conferences and exhibitions, including some of the largest events in the region as a whole, such as the Future Investment Initiative and the World Travel and Tourism Council Summit.

By 2030, Saudi Arabia aims to record more than 100 million visits, 45% of which are local, compared to 55% from abroad. According to Entrepreneur Middle East.

50% of these visits will be for entertainment, 32% for religious tourism, 10% for visiting family and friends, and 9% for business and conferences. If these expectations are correct, the Kingdom will witness 9 million visits annually to attend conferences and economic events.

The growing importance of Saudi Arabia on the global economic arena, and the efforts to attract investments and business, stands behind the expected growth in the exhibition and conference tourism sector, which supports the broader picture of the sector.

The World Travel and Tourism Council expects the sector as a whole to grow 11% annually in Saudi Arabia for the next ten years, making it the fastest growing in the Middle East.