Qatar welcomes over 1.5m international visitors in Q1 2025
RIYADH: Qatar received more than 1.5 million international visitors in the first quarter of 2025, according to newly released figures, as the country continues to push forward with its comprehensive tourism strategy anchored in major events, strategic partnerships, and diverse travel offerings.
While slightly below the 1.6 million visitors recorded during the same period in 2024, the latest numbers highlight Qatar's sustained momentum in attracting global travelers.
Visitors from Gulf Cooperation Council countries accounted for 36 percent of arrivals, followed by Europe at 28 percent and Asia and Oceania at 20 percent, underscoring Qatar's growing appeal across varied markets.
The increase aligns with the nation's long-term objective of drawing six million visitors annually by 2030. It also coincides with the third phase of the Qatar National Development Strategy (2024–2030), launched in January 2024, which designates tourism as a critical pillar in the country's economic diversification agenda.
'The achievements of the first quarter of 2025 demonstrate some of the planned outputs of our long-term approach to tourism development,' said Saad Bin Ali Al-Kharji, chairman of Qatar Tourism and chair of the board of directors of Visit Qatar.
'Part of the development transcends into deepening collaboration across local, regional and international markets and continue to diversify source markets, enhance visitor experiences, and reinforce Qatar's position as a dynamic, year-round destination. We are excited to have welcomed 1.5M in Q1 and look forward to welcoming more guests throughout this year,' he added.
Qatar's multi-access strategy also appears to be paying off. Of the total visitors, 51 percent arrived by air, 34 percent by land, and 15 percent by sea.
During the Eid Al-Fitr holidays, the country recorded its highest holiday visitor count in three years, attracting 214,000 travelers over an eight-day period — a 26 percent increase from 2024. Nearly half (49 percent) of those visitors came from GCC countries, representing an 18 percent year-on-year rise. Hotel occupancy during this period reached 77 percent, up from 67 percent the previous year.
The hospitality industry reported robust performance overall in Q1, with an average hotel occupancy rate of 71 percent and 2.6 million room nights sold. Key drivers included major international events such as Web Summit Qatar, the Doha Jewellery & Watches Exhibition, and the Qatar International Food Festival.
Reinforcing its position as a regional tourism hub, Qatar also hosted the 51st UN Tourism Regional Committee for the Middle East. The gathering focused on leveraging the country's strengths in sports, innovation, and infrastructure to promote sustainable tourism across the region.
Looking ahead, Qatar is set to continue its tourism push with a strong slate of upcoming events. The country will annually host the T100 Triathlon World Championship Final in partnership with the Professional Triathletes Organization through 2030. Additional highlights include the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025, the Visit Qatar E1 Grand Prix of Electric Boats, and a series of high-profile festivals and sports events, all aimed at enriching Qatar's tourism offerings and supporting its continued growth.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Leaders
17 hours ago
- Leaders
Eid Al-Adha 2025: Your Guide to Riyadh Metro Operating Hours
As Saudi Arabia is gearing up for Eid Al-Adha holiday, Riyadh Transport has announced adjusted operating hours for Riyadh Metro. The new working hours will take effect from Thursday, June 5, 2025 until Thursday, June 12, 2025. The changes aim to accommodate the increased movement and travel patterns during the Eid Al-Adha holiday. According to the Riyadh Transport X account, the Orange Line will operate daily from 10 am to midnight, effective from June 5 until June 14 (corresponding to Dhu'al-Hijjah 9 to 18). The line will resume its regular timetable on June 15, 2025, operating from 6 am to midnight. Meanwhile, the other Riyadh Metro lines (Red, Blue, Green, Purple and Yellow) will have a different timetable as follows: From 8 am to midnight on June 5 From 10 am to midnight on June 6, 7, and 8 From 8 am to midnight on June 9, 10, and 11 The lines will get back to regular schedule on June 12, 2025, operating from 6 am to midnight. Furthermore, the Riyadh Transport announced adjusted operating hours for Riyadh Buses, which will work from 5 am to midnight from June 5 to June 12. The on-demand bus service will also be available throughout the same period to meet the increased demand during Eid Al-Adha holiday. On November 27, 2024, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, officially inaugurated the Riyadh Metro project, one of the largest transportation networks in the world. The Riyadh Metro consists of an extensive network of 6 main lines, spanning 176 kilometers and connecting 85 stations. Short link : Post Views: 3
Arab News
2 days ago
- Arab News
Kazakhstan positions itself as major player with key partners in Middle East
ASTANA: As Kazakhstan positions itself to be a major player in the logistical, technological, and energy sectors, the Middle East could be a key partner for riding that train forward. The Astana International Forum took place in May, hosting dialogue on critical global issues. On the sidelines of the forum, Arab News spoke to several high-level Kazakh officials to discuss the country's collaboration with Middle Eastern countries in finance, energy and foreign policy. The largest economy in Central Asia, Kazakhstan's geopolitical profile provides immense global transit potential. With abundant natural and agricultural resources and a growing middle class, the nation has all the fundamentals for further growth and diversification, according to Nurlan Zhakupov, chief executive officer of sovereign wealth fund Samruk-Kazyna. Kazakhstan has attracted over $24 billion in foreign direct investment from strategic partnerships around the world, including Qatar and the UAE. In addition to being key partners in the oil and gas sectors, Middle Eastern countries provide opportunities in a range of other areas. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Alibek Kuantyrov said: 'In general, GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries are very important to (us). 'We have a lot of productive talks about mutual projects, from Kazakhstan to Saudi Arabia and Saudi Arabian investors to Kazakhstan.' Earlier this year, Mobile Telecom-Service LLP, one of two mobile communications subsidiaries of Kazakhstan's largest telecom company Kazakhtelecom, was acquired by Qatar's Power International Holding for $1.1 billion. Samruk-Kazyna is also in close talks with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, 'and we hope that soon these discussions will materialize into concrete projects,' Zhakupov said. The Kazakh fund's next big focus is logistics and transportation, aiming to double its cargo volume. Kazakhstan is additionally expanding its international transit capacity by building more ports across parts of Asia and Europe, including one in Abu Dhabi. Together with Abu Dhabi Ports, Samruk-Kazyna's subsidiary oil and gas company, KazMunayGas, operates a fleet of vessels in the Caspian Sea. This partnership is part of a bigger goal to expand China-Europe trade capacity through the Trans-Caspian Trade Route that connects Central Asia to the Caspian Sea; a path similar to the ancient Silk Road and through which 90 percent of Chinese cargo passes Kazakhstan. The Central Asian nation also has a strong focus on digitalization and renewable energy. Zhaslan Madiyev, the minister of digital development, innovation, and aerospace industry, said that a new artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency committee has been established. Kazakhstan is also one of the world's top 10 countries in crypto mining, with 60 operating mining firms and several mining pools. By amending laws and adding crypto ATMs, exchange shops and cards, 'the president's idea is to define a crypto city that will be completely crypto friendly,' the minister said. One of the major projects the ministry is working on is an International AI Center, a location for excellence focused on talent development, innovation, and economic growth in AI. The 20,000 sq. meters sphere-shaped center will be a regional hub for attracting international technological collaboration. The project will be part of a bigger ecosystem hoping to replicate the success of Astana Hub, an international technology park with 1,500 startups under its belt and an outreach across 20 cities worldwide, including a joint innovation hub in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Riyadh's Al-Farabi Innovation Hub opened in March 2024 with the intention of bridging startups from Kazakhstan, Central Asia and the Caucasus with the Middle East and North Africa markets. That same month, Kazakhstan's ed-tech startup CodiPlay partnered with Saudi Arabia's Artificially Intelligent Learning Assistant to bring digital education solutions to 200 Saudi schools, an initiative that aims to enhance IT literacy among students. Madiyev said: 'I believe there is a huge potential for bringing Saudi investments here and expanding Kazakhstan innovative startups and technologies to Saudi as well. 'With their startups and technologies, Saudi can access the whole Central Asia region through Kazakhstan, and we will be glad to access the Saudi market and the broader Middle Eastern region.' He also noted that another hub and acceleration program is set to open in Dubai in the fall of this year. When asked about plans to balance the environmental effects of AI and technology, the president's special representative on the environment told Arab News that nuclear power was a potential solution. 'It's really a big question of where your energy comes from. If it comes from coal, then there will definitely be a huge impact on the environment,' said Zulfiya Suleimenova, special representative of the president on international environmental cooperation. The country aims to have its share of nuclear in the national generation mix hit 5 percent by 2035. The first plant, expected to be completed in eight years, will be built in the Almaty region and is one of three planned nuclear power plants. One of the largest projects Kazakhstan has in the Middle East is an agreement with Masdar, the Emirati state-owned renewable energy company, signed between Samruk-Kazyna and the UAE's Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan in May this year. The agreement is two-fold. It will include the development of a 1 gigawatt wind farm in the Jambyl Region with a 600 megawatt-hour battery energy storage system, positioned to be one of the largest wind initiatives in Central Asia. Additionally, a 24/7 renewable energy project plans to provide up to 500 megawatts of baseload renewable energy with a capacity of up to 2 gigawatts. Kazakhstan aims to generate 15 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030 and 50 percent by 2035. Other opportunities for joint environmental efforts in the Middle East are in water cooperation, Suleimenova said. The idea of the One Water Summit which took place in Riyadh last year was to drive more political momentum around water-related issues that otherwise do not get the same attention as other climate concerns. At the summit, nine international development banks committed to increase financing into water infrastructure and water-related projects — particularly in vulnerable regions — including the European Investment Bank. 'Back in 2023 when I was minister of ecology, I had the pleasure of meeting the Saudi minister of water, environment and agriculture, and am very (much) looking forward to continuing these discussions and cooperation and hopefully joint efforts,' said Suleimenova. The president's special representative noted that falcon and eagle diplomacy and the protection of these species was another key focus of collaboration between Kazakhstan and Saudi Arabia, and added: 'We hope to further our efforts and cooperation in biodiversity … including the preservation of eagles. They are the pride of our country and our people but also of your countries, of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and others.' Discussions with Saudi Arabia's ACWA Power over the possibility of developing a 1GW wind energy and battery storage plant in Kazakhstan are also ongoing.
Saudi Gazette
2 days ago
- Saudi Gazette
Madinah welcomes influx of residents after bidding farewell to pilgrims
Saudi Gazette report MADINAH — Madinah welcomes a large number of worshipers from across the Kingdom, including both citizens and expatriates, who gather to enjoy the Eid Al-Adha holiday in a spiritually enriching atmosphere. The arrival of residents in Madinah coincides with the departure of pilgrims heading to Makkah and the holy sites to perform Hajj rituals. Experiencing Madinah during these blessed days offers visitors an excellent opportunity, with ease of movement and low congestion facilitating the smooth performance of prayers at the Prophet's Mosque. In addition, visitors can explore historical sites and Islamic landmarks that are beautifully distributed throughout the region. Many visitors are keen to stay in hotels and residential accommodations near the Prophet's Mosque, seeking to immerse themselves in an atmosphere of devotion and worship. They hope to make the most of these days by fasting on the Day of Arafat and joining fellow worshippers for iftar meals in the mosque's courtyards. The central area around the Prophet's Mosque remains bustling with visitors, drawn by its vibrant commercial markets and restaurants. Smooth traffic flow and the well-organized services, supervised by relevant security and service agencies, enhance visitor comfort and ensure the highest standards of care.
