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As of June 1, 2022, the total number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) amounted to just under 800 thousand. At that time, the cumulative number of deaths due to COVID-19 exceeded nine thousand across the country.

Government responses

The Saudi Arabian government first introduced its travel ban in early February 2020, prior to the discovery of the country’s first COVID case on March 2, 2020. The government also took decisive measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus, such as postponing or canceling religious, entertainment, and sports mass gatherings. The suspension of Umrah pilgrimages and the temporary closure of Masjid al-Haram (the Grand Mosque) in Makkah, and Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah were later announced. The annual Hajj pilgrimage to Makkah, one of the largest religious gatherings in the world, attracting around 2.5 million pilgrimages during the week-long ritual before the COVID-19 outbreak, was also substantially pared back in 2020. In the government’s initiative to ease the restrictions imposed during the outbreak, Hajj in 2021 was resumed but limited to citizens and residents living in Saudi Arabia. Makkah was Saudi Arabia's top domestic tourist destination that year, surpassing 13 million visitors.

Tourism industry in the aftermath

The pandemic-induced travel bans and border closures, though crucial and effective in mitigating the transmission of coronavirus, left a heavy impact on the inbound tourism in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Lockdowns during Hajj and Umrah seasons also significantly affected the holy city of Makkah, where religious tourism played a key role. However, as up to one million pilgrims would be allowed restricted access to perform Hajj after two years of disruption, the hotel occupancy rates in Makkah were expected to increase during 2022, indicating the recovery of the country's tourism industry. On the other hand, the country has been seeking to expand its non-religious tourism industry, in line with the goals of diversifying the national economy outlined in the Saudi Vision 2030.