In a significant stride towards realizing its Vision 2030 objectives, Saudi Arabia experienced a 9.6 percent increase in air travel in 2025, with a total of 140.9 million passengers passing through its airports. This growth is pivotal as the Kingdom aims to establish itself as a major global hub for aviation and tourism. The General Authority for Statistics reported that international passengers made up 75.8 million of the total, reflecting a 9.4 percent rise from the previous year. Meanwhile, domestic travelers accounted for 65.1 million, marking a 9.8 percent increase.
Despite regional disruptions due to the Iran conflict, which led to airspace closures and flight cancellations across the Middle East, Saudi airports proved resilient. They managed to accommodate over 12.1 million passengers between February 18 and March 28, during the period of Ramadan 1 to Shawwal 9. King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah emerged as the busiest in the Kingdom, handling 53.5 million passengers, a 9 percent increase from 2024. Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport followed with 40.8 million passengers, up 8.7 percent, and King Fahd International Airport in Dammam recorded a 7 percent rise with 13.7 million passengers.
At the 20th meeting of the Aviation Program Activation Steering Committee held in Riyadh on May 15, Abdulaziz Al-Duailej, President of the General Authority of Civil Aviation, credited Saudi Arabia’s robust contingency planning and expanded airport capacity for the sector’s resilience. He highlighted that between late February and early May, the Kingdom facilitated over 2,000 flights from neighboring countries, transporting more than 258,000 passengers while maintaining efficient air traffic management.
The comprehensive 2025 report by the General Authority for Statistics detailed that Saudi airports handled around 178,600 domestic and 207,700 international passengers daily. The total number of flights reached 979,800, an 8.3 percent increase from the previous year. Domestic flights stood at 506,300, up 6.8 percent, while international flights saw a 9.9 percent rise to 473,500. King Abdulaziz International Airport recorded the highest number of flights at 314,400, followed by King Khalid International Airport with 296,800, and King Fahd International Airport with 108,500.
The Kingdom’s aviation sector also saw a remarkable 33.8 percent growth in its aircraft fleet, reaching 483 planes. Air cargo volume in 2025 amounted to 1.18 million tonnes, with inbound cargo leading at 695,600 tonnes. The number of countries connected through Saudi international airports increased to 66, a 1.5 percent rise, serving 176 destinations, up 2.3 percent from the previous year. In terms of airspace utilization, Saudia led with 25.5 percent, followed by flynas with 13.3 percent, and flyadeal at 8.6 percent. Despite a slight drop in the Global Air Connectivity Index, where Saudi Arabia ranked 18th compared to 17th in 2024, the Kingdom continues to expand its aviation and tourism capacities.
