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Ministry of Tourism (Saudi Arabia)

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The Ministry of Tourism[a] is a government ministry in Saudi Arabia responsible for the regulation and oversight of tourism in Saudi Arabia, including the development of tourism sites, the management of heritage locations, licensing, and coordination with related entities.[1]

Ministry of Tourism
وزارة السياحة

Ahmed Al-Khateeb, the current Minister of Tourism since 25 February 2020
Agency overview
Formed25 February 2020; 6 years ago (2020-02-25)
Preceding agencies
  • Supreme Commission for Tourism (2000–2008)
  • Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (2008–2015)
  • Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (2015–2020)
JurisdictionGovernment of Saudi Arabia
HeadquartersRiyadh
Minister responsible
Child agencies
Websitemt.gov.sa

Overview and role

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The Ministry of Tourism is the government body responsible for regulating and developing the tourism sector in Saudi Arabia.[2] Its functions include setting policies for the sector, supporting investment, developing tourism services, and coordinating with other public entities involved in tourism, heritage, funding, promotion, and destination development.[2][3]

The ministry was established in 2020 after the transformation of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage into a ministry.[4][5] The institutional development of the sector had earlier begun with the establishment of the Supreme Commission for Tourism in 2000, followed by later changes that expanded its responsibilities to include antiquities and national heritage before the creation of the ministry.[4]

The ministry forms part of Saudi Arabia's wider tourism ecosystem, which includes entities such as the Saudi Tourism Authority, the Tourism Development Fund, the Tourism Development Council, the Saudi Red Sea Authority, and related public bodies.[3][4] These entities have separate roles in areas such as tourism promotion, financing, regulation, planning, and destination development.[3]

The ministry's work is connected to the National Tourism Strategy and Saudi Vision 2030.[4][2] The strategy aims to increase domestic and international visits, expand tourism's contribution to the national economy, attract investment, create jobs, and develop tourism destinations across the Kingdom.[6][7] The ministry also supports human-capability development in the tourism sector through training and qualification programs in cooperation with educational and training institutions.[2][4]

List of tourism officials

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No. Portrait Official Took office Left office Time in office
Secretaries General (2000–2020)
1 Sultan bin Salman 16 April 2000 27 December 2018 18 years, 255 days
2 Ahmed Al-Khateeb 27 December 2018 25 February 2020 1 year, 60 days
Ministers of Tourism (2020–present)
1 Ahmed Al-Khateeb 25 February 2020 Incumbent 6 years, 124 days

Museums

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See also

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Notes

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  1. ↑ Arabic: وزارة السياحة

References

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  1. ↑ "Saudi Arabia creates ministries for investment, tourism and sport". Arab News. 26 February 2020. Retrieved 2026-04-08.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Saudi Arabia: OECD Tourism Trends and Policies 2024". OECD. 2024-07-08. Retrieved 2026-06-18.
  3. 1 2 3 "Saudi Arabia Country Commercial Guide". International Trade Administration.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "Ministry of Tourism". saudipedia.com. Retrieved 2026-06-18.
  5. ↑ "Gloria Guevara and World Travel & Tourism Council Congratulate Saudi Arabia on its new Tourism Ministry". wttc.org. Retrieved 2026-06-18.
  6. ↑ "Ministry of Tourism | Saudi Arabia". mt.gov.sa. Retrieved 2026-06-18.
  7. ↑ Kalin, Stephen (27 September 2019). "Saudi Arabia opens to foreign holidaymakers, chases tourism investment". Reuters.
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