Saudi Arabia Boosts Tourism Workforce to Over 9.5 Million Jobs in Q2 2024

Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector employed a total of 959,175 workers in the second quarter of 2024, marking a 5.1% rise compared to the same period in 2023, according to the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) report released on Wednesday. Out of the total workforce, Saudi nationals accounted for 245,905 employees, representing 25.6% of the total, while expatriates comprised 713,270 workers, making up 74.4% of the sector’s labor force. The report further highlighted that 831,076 males were engaged in tourism activities, constituting 86.6% of the total workforce, whereas female workers numbered 128,099, contributing 13.4% during the second quarter of 2024. The average daily room rate in hotels was reported at SR725.5 in Q2 2024, showing a slight decrease of 0.4% compared to Q2 2023. In contrast, serviced apartments and other hospitality options saw their average daily rate climb to SR254.3, a substantial 15.2% increase over the same period. GASTAT observed that employment in the tourism sector made up 5.7% of the nation’s overall workforce during the second quarter of 2024, reflecting a slight decline of 0.2% from the same period in 2023. Within the private sector, the proportion of tourism workers stood at 8.6%, down 0.5% from the corresponding quarter of the previous year. On the hospitality front, hotel room occupancy rates averaged 55.4% during Q2 2024, reflecting a 0.5% increase from Q2 2023. Meanwhile, occupancy rates for serviced apartments and similar facilities rose to 52.4%, an improvement of 1.5% year-on-year.