Average trip spend among international visitors to Saudi Arabia surveyed in Visa's Global Travel Intentions Study reached SAR 10,405 ($2,774), with 54% of spending pre-booked and 46% taking place during the trip; accommodation accounted for 19% of spending, transportation 18%, food and beverages 17% and experiences 15%. US visitors recorded the highest average trip expenditure at SAR 21,530, followed by visitors from the UAE at SAR 14,046 and the UK at SAR 10,558, while 75% of respondents shopped during their stay and half said they used AI to find travel inspiration.
Destination marketers in Saudi should move budget into the pre-trip window where 54% of spending is committed and half of travellers now use AI for inspiration, rather than into arrival-stage campaigns.
Explore more signals
Mobily eyes selling its towers
Preliminary TAWAL talks, NDA only, no MoU, no financial impact yet.
An NDA is a disclosure obligation, not a deal. Note who ends up owning national infrastructure as these consolidate.
Fifty-seven studies, twelfth session
The Riyadh Economic Forum will hold its 12th session on 12–14 October 2026 at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center, with ministers, public and private sector specialists, academics and business owners participating. The forum has presented more than 57 economic studies over its history, many of which became government initiatives and decisions.
if you want policy input rather than policy news, October is the window. Submissions and positioning happen before the session, not during it, so start now.
Four billion dollars, free
Adobe, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and HUMAIN signed a partnership valued at more than $4 billion, giving more than 27 million citizens and residents aged 13 and above free access to Adobe Firefly Standard and Express Premium for 12 months. The agreement covers a culturally-tailored image generation model, Arabic right-to-left support, and free access for eligible startups through CODE and The Garage from early 2027.
$4 billion worth of software given to 27 million people is really a distribution strategy, not a donation. Adobe is securing its user base before anyone else can shape what creative tools look like in Arabic.
