In 2025, Saudi Arabia’s airports experienced a significant rise in passenger traffic, with a 9.6 percent increase bringing the total number of travelers to 140.9 million, as reported by the General Authority for Statistics. International passengers made up 75.8 million of this total, seeing a 9.4 percent year-on-year increase, while domestic travelers accounted for 65.1 million, reflecting a 9.8 percent rise. This growth aligns with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 initiative, which aims to transform the nation into a global aviation and tourism hub through airport expansions, airline enhancements, and improved connectivity. Having already surpassed its initial target of 100 million annual tourists, the Kingdom has now set its sights on attracting 150 million tourists by 2030.
The aviation sector’s progress in 2025 unfolded amid regional instability due to the Iran conflict, which led to airspace closures and flight cancellations across the Middle East. Nevertheless, Saudi airports managed to accommodate over 12.1 million passengers between February 18 and March 28, spanning the months of Ramadan 1 to Shawwal 9, according to the General Authority of Civil Aviation. The latest report from GASTAT highlighted that King Abdulaziz International Airport recorded the highest passenger traffic among Saudi airports, with 53.5 million travelers, marking a 9 percent increase from the previous year. This was followed by King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, which saw 40.8 million passengers, an increase of 8.7 percent, and King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, which handled 13.7 million passengers, an uptick of 7 percent.
During the 20th meeting of the Aviation Program Activation Steering Committee in Riyadh on May 15, GACA President Abdulaziz Al-Duailej emphasized the sector’s resilience amidst global operational challenges. He credited contingency planning and expanded airport capacity for maintaining stability. Al-Duailej also noted that Saudi Arabia accommodated more than 2,000 flights operated by carriers from neighboring countries between February 28 and May 3, transporting over 258,000 passengers while ensuring smooth air traffic operations. In 2025, GASTAT reported that Saudi airports handled approximately 178,600 domestic and 207,700 international passengers daily.
The annual total of arriving and departing flights reached 979,800 in 2025, an 8.3 percent increase from the previous year. Domestic flights numbered 506,300, a 6.8 percent rise, while international flights totaled 473,500, up 9.9 percent. King Abdulaziz International Airport managed the most flights at 314,400, followed by King Khalid International Airport with 296,800, and King Fahd International Airport with 108,500. On average, there were 1,387 daily domestic flights and 1,297 international flights across the Kingdom’s airports.
In 2025, Saudi Arabia’s commercial and general aviation fleet expanded significantly to 483 aircraft, marking a 33.8 percent increase over the previous year. Air cargo volume reached 1.18 million tonnes, with inbound cargo leading at 695,600 tonnes, followed by transit cargo at 420,100 tonnes, and outbound cargo at 69,700 tonnes. The number of countries connected to Saudi international airports rose to 66, a 1.5 percent increase from 2024, while the number of served destinations reached 176, reflecting a 2.3 percent rise. Saudia led in airspace utilization with 25.5 percent of total flights, trailed by flynas with 13.3 percent, and flyadeal with 8.6 percent. In the Global Air Connectivity Index 2025, Saudi Arabia ranked 18th globally, slightly down from 17th place in 2024.
