‎In-depth: Saudi hotels occupancy, ARR in Q1 2026

Source: Argaam - Main News
Source link: https://www.argaam.com/en/article/articledetail/id/1925881
Published: 2026-08-04 14:14:00
Discovered by ProcIntel: 2026-08-04 15:20:13
Category: GCC Spotlight
Geography: Saudi Arabia
Organisations: —
Review status: Pending
Record type: REAL

Summary

‎<img src="https://argaamplus.s3.amazonaws.com/cf3f6a27-70bf-46df-9c73-d679601d76c9.png" > Riyadh city <hr> The hotel room occupancy rate in Saudi Arabia declined to 60.8% in Q1 2026, compared to 63% in the same period of 2025. Meanwhile, the occupancy rate for serviced apartments and other hospitality facilities inched up to 51.6%, up from 50.7% a year earlier, according to the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) Tourism Establishments Statistics Bulletin. <table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody> <tr > <td colspan="3" > Occupancy Rates for Hotels, Serviced Apartments Others </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Period </td> <td > Hotels (%) </td> <td > Serviced Apts Others </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Q1 2023 </td> <td > 63.2% </td> <td > 53.0% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Q2 </td> <td > 54.9% </td> <td > 50.9% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Q3 </td> <td > 53.4% </td> <td > 56.2% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Q4 </td> <td > 60.2% </td> <td > 55.4% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Q1 2024 </td> <td > 60.9% </td> <td > 54.5% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Q2 </td> <td > 55.4% </td> <td > 52.4% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Q3 </td> <td > 46.1% </td> <td > 58.0% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Q4 </td> <td > 56.0% </td> <td > 55.9% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Q1 2025 </td> <td > 63.0% </td> <td > 50.7% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Q2 </td> <td > 53.2% </td> <td > 50.2% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Q3 </td> <td > 49.1% </td> <td > 57.4% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Q4 </td> <td > 57.3% </td> <td > 55.9% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Q1 2026 </td> <td > 60.8% </td> <td > 51.6% </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> Across regions, hotel and serviced apartment occupancy rates varied significantly. Madinah recorded the highest hotel occupancy rate at 82.5%, followed by Makkah at 59.5% and Riyadh at 50.6%. Meanwhile, Najran posted the highest occupancy rate for serviced apartments and other hospitality facilities at 60.2%, followed by Riyadh at 59.3% and Madinah at 55.8%. On the other hand, Al Baha recorded the lowest occupancy rates for both hotels (26.2%) and serviced apartments (27.6%). <table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody> <tr > <td colspan="3" > Room Occupancy Rate by Region </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Region </td> <td > Hotels </td> <td > Serviced Apartments </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Madinah </td> <td > 82.5% </td> <td > 55.8% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Makkah </td> <td > 59.5% </td> <td > 49.6% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Riyadh </td> <td > 50.6% </td> <td > 59.3% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Eastern Region </td> <td > 49.5% </td> <td > 52.0% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Northern Borders </td> <td > 46.5% </td> <td > 37.6% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Qassim </td> <td > 45.9% </td> <td > 53.2% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Jazan </td> <td > 41.0% </td> <td > 47.7% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Al Jouf </td> <td > 39.9% </td> <td > 40.9% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Hail </td> <td > 39.4% </td> <td > 50.7% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Najran </td> <td > 41.5% </td> <td > 60.2% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Tabuk </td> <td > 27.5% </td> <td > 38.5% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Aseer </td> <td > 27.3% </td> <td > 39.3% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Al Baha </td> <td > 26.2% </td> <td > 27.6% </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> The average daily room rate (ADR) for hotels stood at SAR 423 in Q1 2026, down 11.4% from Q1 2025. Meanwhile, the ADR for serviced apartments and other hospitality facilities reached SAR 206, marking a 1.2% YoY decline. <table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody> <tr > <td colspan="3" > ADR (SAR) </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Period </td> <td > Hotels </td> <td > Serviced apartments others </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Q1 2023 </td> <td > 515 </td> <td > 205 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Q2 </td> <td > 756 </td> <td > 221 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Q3 </td> <td > 443 </td> <td > 222 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Q4 </td> <td > 447 </td> <td > 218 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Q1 2024 </td> <td > 494 </td> <td > 195 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Q2 </td> <td > 669 </td> <td > 199 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Q3 </td> <td > 354 </td> <td > 200 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Q4 </td> <td > 440 </td> <td > 220 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Q1 2025 </td> <td > 477 </td> <td > 209 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Q2 </td> <td > 643 </td> <td > 201 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Q3 </td> <td > 341 </td> <td > 208 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Q4 </td> <td > 389 </td> <td > 207 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Q1 2026 </td> <td > 423 </td> <td > 206 </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> The table below shows the ADR for hotels and serviced apartments and other hospitality facilities across Saudi regions in Q1 2026: <table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody> <tr > <td colspan="3" > ADR by region (SAR) </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Region </td> <td > Hotels </td> <td > Serviced apartments </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Tabuk </td> <td > 1,121 </td> <td > 155 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Riyadh </td> <td > 783 </td> <td > 246 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Madinah </td> <td > 470 </td> <td > 232 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Eastern Region </td> <td > 460 </td> <td > 205 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Qassim </td> <td > 455 </td> <td > 164 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Hail </td> <td > 438 </td> <td > 194 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Makkah </td> <td > 367 </td> <td > 193 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Najran </td> <td > 337 </td> <td > 95 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Al Baha </td> <td > 288 </td> <td > 134 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Jazan </td> <td > 286 </td> <td > 228 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Al Jouf </td> <td > 269 </td> <td > 130 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Aseer </td> <td > 246 </td> <td > 121 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Northern Borders </td> <td > 219 </td> <td > 139 </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> Meanwhile, the average length of stay (ALOS) at hotels was approximately 4.2 nights in Q1 2026, while guests at serviced apartments and other hospitality facilities stayed an average of 2.2 nights. <table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody> <tr > <td colspan="3" > ALOS (nights) </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Period </td> <td > Hotels </td> <td > Serviced apartments and other hospitality facilities </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Q1 2023 </td> <td > 3.7 </td> <td > 2.5 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Q2 </td> <td > 4.4 </td> <td > 2.4 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Q3 </td> <td > 3.7 </td> <td > 2.5 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Q4 </td> <td > 3.6 </td> <td > 2.4 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Q1 2024 </td> <td > 4.1 </td> <td > 2.2 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Q2 </td> <td > 5.2 </td> <td > 2.1 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Q3 </td> <td > 4.2 </td> <td > 2.1 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Q4 </td> <td > 3.6 </td> <td > 2.1 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Q1 2025 </td> <td > 4.1 </td> <td > 2.1 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Q2 </td> <td > 4.8 </td> <td > 2.0 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Q3 </td> <td > 4.1 </td> <td > 2.1 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Q4 </td> <td > 3.8 </td> <td > 2.2 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Q1 2026 </td> <td > 4.2 </td> <td > 2.2 </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody> <tr > <td colspan="3" > ALOS by region in Q1 2026 (nights) </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Region </td> <td > Hotels </td> <td > Serviced apartments </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Makkah </td> <td > 5.2 </td> <td > 2.0 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Madinah </td> <td > 3.5 </td> <td > 2.7 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Riyadh </td> <td > 2.5 </td> <td > 2.3 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Tabuk </td> <td > 2.3 </td> <td > 1.9 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Najran </td> <td > 2.2 </td> <td > 2.4 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Eastern Region </td> <td > 2.2 </td> <td > 2.2 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Al Jouf </td> <td > 2.0 </td> <td > 2.0 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Northern Borders </td> <td > 1.9 </td> <td > 1.9 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Jazan </td> <td > 1.8 </td> <td > 1.9 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Hail </td> <td > 1.8 </td> <td > 1.8 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Al Baha </td> <td > 1.7 </td> <td > 2.1 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Aseer </td> <td > 1.7 </td> <td > 1.9 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Qassim </td> <td > 1.7 </td> <td > 1.8 </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> The number of workers in Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector grew by 6.5% YoY to 1.05 million in Q1 2026. Of the total, 250,100 were Saudi nationals, representing 24%, while 797,200 were non-Saudis, accounting for the remaining 76%. <table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody> <tr > <td colspan="4" > Tourism Employees (‘000 employees) </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Period </td> <td > Saudis </td> <td > Non-Saudis </td> <td > Total </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Q1 2023 </td> <td > 239.74 </td> <td > 660.79 </td> <td > 900.53 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Q2 </td> <td > 242.11 </td> <td > 670.08 </td> <td > 912.20 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Q3 </td> <td > 243.95 </td> <td > 675.22 </td> <td > 919.17 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Q4 </td> <td > 244.90 </td> <td > 684.51 </td> <td > 929.40 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Q1 2024 </td> <td > 247.71 </td> <td > 696.59 </td> <td > 944.30 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Q2 </td> <td > 245.91 </td> <td > 713.27 </td> <td > 959.18 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Q3 </td> <td > 240.77 </td> <td > 707.86 </td> <td > 948.63 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Q4 </td> <td > 242.07 </td> <td > 724.46 </td> <td > 966.53 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Q1 2025 </td> <td > 243.37 </td> <td > 739.88 </td> <td > 983.25 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Q2 </td> <td > 247.60 </td> <td > 749.76 </td> <td > 997.36 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Q3 </td> <td > 245.17 </td> <td > 764.52 </td> <td > 1,009.69 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Q4 </td> <td > 247.48 </td> <td > 783.09 </td> <td > 1,030.57 </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Q1 2026 </td> <td > 250.09 </td> <td > 797.22 </td> <td > 1,047.31 </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> Riyadh topped Saudi regions in terms of the number of workers in tourism activities at nearly 344,600, representing about 33% of the total. Makkah followed with approximately 293,600 workers. <table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody> <tr > <td colspan="3" > Geographical Distribution of Tourism Employees </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Region </td> <td > No. of Employees ('000) </td> <td > Ratio to Total (%) </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Riyadh </td> <td > 344.59 </td> <td > 32.9% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Makkah </td> <td > 293.65 </td> <td > 28.0% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Eastern Region </td> <td > 155.20 </td> <td > 14.8% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Madinah </td> <td > 63.40 </td> <td > 6.1% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Aseer </td> <td > 49.76 </td> <td > 4.8% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Qassim </td> <td > 34.60 </td> <td > 3.3% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Jazan </td> <td > 29.31 </td> <td > 2.8% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Tabuk </td> <td > 27.21 </td> <td > 2.6% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Hail </td> <td > 13.60 </td> <td > 1.3% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Najran </td> <td > 12.91 </td> <td > 1.2% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Al Jouf </td> <td > 8.71 </td> <td > 0.8% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Northern Borders </td> <td > 7.37 </td> <td > 0.7% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Al Baha </td> <td > 7.01 </td> <td > 0.7% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Total </td> <td > 1,047.31 </td> <td > 100% </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> The number of tourism establishments advanced 9% YoY to 177,030. Food and beverage service establishments ranked first by activity, with around 114,680 establishments, representing 64.8% of total tourism establishments, followed by visitor accommodation establishments with 24,790 establishments. <table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody> <tr > <td colspan="3" > Establishments by tourism activity </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Tourism activity </td> <td > No. of establishments </td> <td > Share of total </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Food and beverage service activities </td> <td > 114,684 </td> <td > 64.8% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Visitor accommodation activities </td> <td > 24,790 </td> <td > 14.0% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Retail trade of country-specific tourism characteristic goods </td> <td > 17,265 </td> <td > 9.8% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Sports and recreational activities </td> <td > 5,643 </td> <td > 3.2% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Land passenger transport </td> <td > 4,276 </td> <td > 2.4% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Travel agencies and reservation services </td> <td > 3,647 </td> <td > 2.1% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Other country-specific tourism characteristic services </td> <td > 3,403 </td> <td > 1.9% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Rental of transport equipment </td> <td > 1,638 </td> <td > 0.9% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Water passenger transport </td> <td > 653 </td> <td > 0.4% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Rail passenger transport </td> <td > 397 </td> <td > 0.2% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Cultural activities </td> <td > 384 </td> <td > 0.2% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Air passenger transport </td> <td > 251 </td> <td > 0.1% </td> </tr> <tr > <td > Total </td> <td > 177,031 </td> <td > 100% </td> </tr> </tbody> </table>

Possibly the same underlying story as August 2026 — flagged automatically for review, never merged automatically.

Procurement Relevance Gate

FAIL — score 7.0/100 — evaluated 2026-08-04 15:20:13

Only geographic exposure matched — no substantive content indicator, so this cannot pass alone.

geographic_exposure (weight 8) — matched on "1 linked geography"

Initial Signal Assessment ProcIntel's automatic, provisional read of this individual Signal -- Initial Significance and Initial Confidence, computed deterministically before any Event extraction or human review.

A provisional, automatically-computed reading of this individual Signal, before Event extraction or human review. Not a final rating.

Not Assessed — this Signal did not pass the Procurement Relevance Gate, or is fictional/excluded test data.

‎In-depth: Saudi hotels occupancy, ARR in Q1 2026

Summary

Procurement Relevance Gate

Initial Signal Assessment ⓘMore about Initial Signal AssessmentProcIntel's automatic, provisional read of this individual Signal -- Initial Significance and Initial Confidence, computed deterministically before any Event extraction or human review.

Initial Signal Assessment ProcIntel's automatic, provisional read of this individual Signal -- Initial Significance and Initial Confidence, computed deterministically before any Event extraction or human review.