Makkah and Madinah have secured places among the world’s most visited cities in 2025, highlighting Saudi Arabia’s booming religious tourism sector under Vision 2030.
According to the official international visitor rankings for 2025, Makkah ranked as the 5th most visited city globally, while Madinah claimed the 7th spot, reflecting the Kingdom’s growing appeal to millions of Muslim pilgrims worldwide.
The milestone comes as Saudi Arabia welcomed more than 19.5 million international Hajj and Umrah pilgrims in 2025, the highest number in its history, with overall visitor satisfaction exceeding 90%, according to official figures.
The surge has been fueled by the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 reforms, which have significantly expanded capacity at the Two Holy Mosques through investments in high-speed transport, airport expansion, smart services, hotels, and crowd management systems. These initiatives are aimed at making pilgrimage more accessible while enhancing the overall visitor experience.
Saudi Arabia is targeting 30 million Umrah pilgrims annually by 2030, with continued investments in tourism infrastructure and digital transformation expected to drive further growth. Officials say religious tourism remains one of the key pillars of the Kingdom’s strategy to diversify its economy beyond oil.
The latest rankings reinforce Saudi Arabia’s emergence as one of the world’s fastest-growing tourism destinations, with Makkah and Madinah continuing to attract millions of visitors seeking spiritual journeys throughout the year.