Exploring Asir: Saudi Arabia's Emerging Summer Destination

A report by Lea Fayad, English adaptation by Nadine Sassine

When we mention the Gulf countries in the summer, the first thing that might come to mind is the heat. But what do you think of this place as a summer destination?

The Asir region in the southwest of Saudi Arabia starts at the shores of the Red Sea and extends upward to the highest peak in the Kingdom. The weather here becomes cloudy and rainy at times, and the temperature sometimes doesn’t exceed the twenties even in the height of summer.

This region, which has seen a remarkable growth in the number of tourists—up by 22% over the last two years (2022 and 2023, according to the Saudi Ministry of Tourism)—is receiving significant attention from Saudi authorities. This is because it shows that tourism in the country can be more than just religious tourism and can support the positive numbers the sector has been achieving.

This as 60 million local and foreign tourists visited the Kingdom's tourist and religious sites in the first half of 2024, with 15 million of them coming from abroad.

If this pace continues, expectations suggest that this year will surpass 2023, which saw 109 million tourists, including 27 million from abroad.

The authorities aim to reach 150 million tourists by 2030, including 77 million foreigners.

To achieve these numbers, Saudi Arabia has relied on its human resources. Over the past five years, 500 young men and women have been trained in the tourism sector, which now accounts for 925,000 jobs.

Currently, the tourism sector makes up 5% of Saudi Arabia's economy, and the Kingdom's ambition is for this figure to reach 10% in line with its Vision 2030 to diversify its economy away from oil.