Saudi Arabia Emerges as Leading Destination for Uzbek Travellers as Visits Surge by Seventy-One Percent
In 2025 a record number of Uzbek citizens journeyed to the Kingdom, driven by tourism, pilgrimage and family visits amid broader travel ties growth
Saudi Arabia has become a standout travel destination for citizens of Uzbekistan, with more than 366,000 Uzbek nationals visiting the Kingdom in 2025, a sharp seventy-one percent increase from the previous year, according to official statistics.
This surge reflects a deepening of cultural and people-to-people ties between the two countries, as well as the impact of eased visa procedures and expanded air links that have made travel more accessible for Central Asian visitors.
Data from Uzbekistan’s National Statistics Committee shows that nearly two hundred thousand of those trips were for combined tourism and pilgrimage purposes, underscoring the continued importance of Saudi Arabia’s religious and cultural attractions, particularly for Umrah and other heritage visits.
Family-related travel was the second most common purpose, with more than thirty-eight thousand Uzbeks visiting relatives in the Kingdom.
Smaller numbers travelled for medical care, official business and education.
The rise in visits to Saudi Arabia also aligns with broader patterns in Uzbek outbound travel, as the country’s growing middle class seeks diverse international destinations.
Saudi Arabia’s efforts to broaden its tourism appeal — part of long-term national plans to attract millions of foreign visitors by 2030 — appear to resonate strongly with Central Asian travellers.
Enhanced airline connectivity, including more frequent flights and new routes, has played a key role in facilitating this increase.
While Uzbekistan’s overall top outbound destinations in 2025 included neighbouring states such as Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan, Saudi Arabia stood out among more distant markets as a rapidly expanding choice, surpassing destinations such as Türkiye and the United Arab Emirates in visitor numbers from Uzbekistan.
This shift highlights the Kingdom’s growing appeal beyond traditional pilgrimage traffic to encompass leisure, cultural and family travel.
Officials and industry observers say the trend is likely to continue as both Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan pursue stronger diplomatic and economic ties, with tourism acting as an important bridge between the societies.
The sustained increase in Uzbek visits is expected to support wider cultural exchange and to contribute to Saudi Arabia’s regional tourism ambitions under its broader development strategies.
This surge reflects a deepening of cultural and people-to-people ties between the two countries, as well as the impact of eased visa procedures and expanded air links that have made travel more accessible for Central Asian visitors.
Data from Uzbekistan’s National Statistics Committee shows that nearly two hundred thousand of those trips were for combined tourism and pilgrimage purposes, underscoring the continued importance of Saudi Arabia’s religious and cultural attractions, particularly for Umrah and other heritage visits.
Family-related travel was the second most common purpose, with more than thirty-eight thousand Uzbeks visiting relatives in the Kingdom.
Smaller numbers travelled for medical care, official business and education.
The rise in visits to Saudi Arabia also aligns with broader patterns in Uzbek outbound travel, as the country’s growing middle class seeks diverse international destinations.
Saudi Arabia’s efforts to broaden its tourism appeal — part of long-term national plans to attract millions of foreign visitors by 2030 — appear to resonate strongly with Central Asian travellers.
Enhanced airline connectivity, including more frequent flights and new routes, has played a key role in facilitating this increase.
While Uzbekistan’s overall top outbound destinations in 2025 included neighbouring states such as Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan, Saudi Arabia stood out among more distant markets as a rapidly expanding choice, surpassing destinations such as Türkiye and the United Arab Emirates in visitor numbers from Uzbekistan.
This shift highlights the Kingdom’s growing appeal beyond traditional pilgrimage traffic to encompass leisure, cultural and family travel.
Officials and industry observers say the trend is likely to continue as both Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan pursue stronger diplomatic and economic ties, with tourism acting as an important bridge between the societies.
The sustained increase in Uzbek visits is expected to support wider cultural exchange and to contribute to Saudi Arabia’s regional tourism ambitions under its broader development strategies.
