Saudi Arabia boosts tourism ties with Africa’s most developed economy as thousands of pilgrims travel to the kingdom

South Africa and Saudi Arabia have agreed to expand their tourism and travel partnerships to significantly improve the journey for thousands of Muslim pilgrims travelling to the Saudi kingdom.

Saudi Arabia boosts tourism ties with South Africa as thousands of pilgrims travel to the kingdom [Picture: Tourism Department]

• South Africa and Saudi Arabia agreed to expand tourism and travel partnerships, focusing on improving travel for Muslim pilgrims.
• Ministers from both countries discussed transitioning to digital services, and enhancing cooperation with tour operators.
• A dedicated working group will implement proposals, and airlines are encouraged to consider more direct flights between the nations.
• Saudi tourist arrivals in South Africa have risen significantly, and South Africa plans to create specialized vacation packages.

South African Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille recently met with Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Dr Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah, to discuss ways to make pilgrimage travel smoother and foster stronger bilateral connections.

The bilateral discussions focused on transitioning to digital services, boosting coordination with tour operators, and addressing existing logistical hurdles faced by travelers.

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Both governments decided to launch a dedicated working group to carry out key proposals and urged commercial airlines in both nations to explore adding more direct flights.

Highlighting the mutual benefits, Minister Patricia de Lille told The Citizen, “South Africa and Saudi Arabia already have an important connection through the thousands of South African Muslims who travel for Hajj and Umrah.”

The Minister added “We now have an opportunity to build on that relationship by encouraging greater two‑way travel, strengthening connectivity and introducing more Saudi travellers to the diversity of experiences that South Africa has to offer”.

She also said that South African Tourism plans to design specialized seasonal vacation packages aimed specifically at Saudi visitors.

Religious travel between the two nations has shown remarkable momentum in recent years.

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According to Minister Al-Rabiah, approximately 56,000 South Africans visited Saudi Arabia for Umrah last year, reflecting a 10% increase from the previous year.

Expressing Saudi Arabia’s commitment to improving visitor experiences, Al-Rabiah told The Citizen, “Our priority is to listen to South African pilgrims, Umrah visitors and service providers, understand their needs, and work together to make their journey more accessible, seamless and enriching”.

Travel in the opposite direction has also surged, with Saudi tourist arrivals in South Africa growing from 5,461 in 2021 to nearly 25,000 in 2025.

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Emphasizing the cultural significance of this relationship, Al-Rabiah added, “Travel brings people closer together. Hajj and Umrah have connected South Africa and Saudi Arabia for generations, and we look forward to building on this historic connection to further strengthen the relationship between our two countries”.

The Citizen also revealed thatbeyond pilgrimage arrangements, both countries plan to collaborate on destination marketing, workforce skills training, and promoting South Africa’s halaal tourism offerings.