Tag Archives: third in the world

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ranked third globally in the growth rate of international tourist arrivals with over 61% in the first eight to nine months of 2024 compared to the same period in 2019, according to a press release issued by UN Tourism in December 2024. Through the Ministry of Tourism’s plans and strategies, this consistent performance and continued success in the tourism sector underlines the efforts of all stakeholders in the tourism ecosystem aimed at achieving the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030. The significant increase in the number of inbound tourists also reflects travelers’ confidence in the Kingdom’s attractive and diverse tourism offering, thereby enhancing Saudi Arabia’s standing as a leading global tourist destination. Earlier, Saudi Arabia had advanced 15 positions in the global ranking of inbound tourist spending, leading the upward movement among the top 50 countries and ranking 12th globally in 2023 compared to 2019. Additionally, the Kingdom led the G20 countries in the growth of international tourist arrivals in the first seven months of 2024 compared to 2019.

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque (SZGM) has secured top positions globally among the most revered cultural and historical landmarks, according to the 2024 report of leading travel and tourism platform TripAdvisor. Recognition in the report, derived from the analysis of more than eight million data points provided by travellers of diverse nationalities, is a testament to the mosque’s universal appeal and the rich experiences it offers. SZGM’s unique cultural and historical experiences have earned it 10th place globally and the first position in the Middle East in the Top Attractions category among 25 world-class attractions. In the Top Experiences category, SZGM secured 17th place globally and second in the Middle East for the travel experience from Dubai to Abu Dhabi, which includes Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Qasr Al Watan, and Etihad Towers. Furthermore, in the Cultural and Historical Experiences category, it ranked third globally, showing significant progress compared to 2023, with improvements of five ranks in the Attractions category, three in Experiences, and four in Cultural and Historical Experiences. His Excellency Dr Yousif Alobaidli, Director-General of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre (SZGMC), said: “The mosque’s realisation of this global milestone reflects the vision of our leadership. This accomplishment is the fruit of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre’s five-year strategic plan to enhance its services and offer visitors new experiences. These results also underscore the centre’s success in training over 250 young UAE Nationals in the field of cultural tour guidance and visitor services. These individuals are staff of the centre and graduates of the Ibn Al Dar programme, which is part of the AL Shabab AL Banie initiative. They are responsible for delivering more than 5,000 cultural tours annually within …