The Madinah Region Development Authority announced a remarkable milestone in tourism, revealing that the number of visitors to Madinah in 2023 exceeded 14 million, a 124 per cent increase compared to 2014.
The historic leap reflects Madinah’s growing status as a pivotal religious and tourist destination in Saudi Arabia.
Madinah continues to attract millions of pilgrims
Historically significant as the second holiest city in Islam, Madinah has continued to attract millions of pilgrims over the years especially those who visit the holy city of the Prophet’s Mosque, Al-Madinah an-Nabawiya.
The mosque, where the tomb of the Prophet Muhammad is located has been expanded several times due to the increase of people visiting the place for religious significance and cultural heritage.
According to the statistics, visitor numbers have shown steady growth over the past decade. In 2014, Madinah welcomed 6.3 million visitors, a number that remained constant in 2015. By 2016, the figure rose to 6.5 million, and by 2017, it reached 7.5 million, as reported by Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
The numbers continued to rise, with 8 million visitors in 2018 and 9.8 million in 2019.
Average visitor stay in Madinah increases to 10 days
The average visitor stay in Madinah increased to 10 days, marking the significance of Madinah as a premier religious tourism hotspot.
Major attractions include the Prophet’s Mosque and other historical sites like the Quba Mosque built in the lifetime of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and Mount Uhud which are historically significant for the life of the Prophet Muhammad.
The authority emphasized its commitment to further developing tourism in Madinah, in coordination with partners, by preparing over 100 additional sites to enhance the experience for pilgrims and visitors.
Due to consistent developmental projects and a focus on enhancing accommodation and other amenities of the holy city for both pilgrims and tourists, Madinah is expected to expand as a vital component of Saudi Arabia’s tourism industry.
Such efforts align with Saudi Vision 2030’s Pilgrim Experience Program, which aims to enrich the spiritual and cultural journey of visitors to the holy city.
