RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation sector recorded a sharp expansion in 2025, with passenger traffic exceeding 140 million, up about 9 percent from a year earlier, according to the General Authority of Civil Aviation.
The figures were presented at the 19th meeting of the National Aviation Sector Strategy Activation Steering Committee in Riyadh, chaired by Abdulaziz Al-Duailej, president of GACA, according to a press release.
This comes as Saudi Arabia welcomed an estimated 122 million visitors in 2025, moving closer to its Vision 2030 target of attracting 150 million tourists annually and reinforcing aviation’s role in economic diversification.
The year saw an expansion in global connectivity, with international destinations increasing to 176, while Saudi Arabia remained home to three of the world’s busiest air routes.
Al-Duailej credited this performance to the “unlimited support” from the nation’s leadership, identifying aviation as a key enabler of Saudi Vision 2030.
