GWI: Saudi Arabia emerges as MENA’s second-largest wellness market with $19.8bn valuation
– Lindsay Madden Nadeau
Saudi Arabia’s wellness economy has been valued at US$19.8 billion in a new report by the Global Wellness Institute (GWI) – making it the second-largest wellness market in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
Called The Global Wellness Economy: Saudi Arabia, the report assesses the market's robust growth between 2019-2022, largely driven by the Kingdom’s ambitious Vision 2030 strategy, which prioritises health, wellbeing and tourism.
Globally, Saudi Arabia ranks 34th in wellness economy size. The US, China and Germany lead the 218 countries surveyed by the GWI.
“Saudi Arabia's wellness market has demonstrated remarkable resilience and growth, driven by strategic investments outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, which emphasises enhancing Saudi citizens' health and wellbeing while fostering wellness tourism opportunities,” said Susie Ellis, GWI chair and CEO.
“In recent years, Saudi Arabia has not only rebounded from the downturn caused by the pandemic but has also exceeded its pre-pandemic levels of 2019.”
Saudi Arabia’s wellness economy at a glance
The report includes dedicated summaries of each of Saudi Arabia’s wellness sectors, including valuations, percentage annual growth rates between 2020 to 2022 and each sector’s global ranking in comparison to 218 countries:
• Healthy Eating, Nutrition & Weight Loss: US$5.8 billion, +5.5 per cent (#27)• Physical Activity: US$4.7 billion, +16.6 per cent (#25)
• Personal Care & Beauty: US$4.4billion, +9.6 per cent (#41)• Public Health, Prevention & Personalized Medicine: US$2.5 billion, +6.5 per cent (#25)
• Mental Wellness: US$1.1 billion, 10.9 per cent (#19) • Spas: US$0.6 billion, +35.6 per cent (#31).
• Wellness Tourism: US$0.5 billion, +66 per cent (#67).• Workplace Wellness: US$0.5 billion, +2.8 per cent, (#15).
• Traditional & Complementary Medicine: US$0.2 billion, +5.3 per cent (#61). • Wellness Real Estate:US$0.2 billion, +23.4 per cent (#39).
• Thermal/Mineral Springs: US$0.0B, +41.5 per cent (#111).
Wellness tourism: a growth catalystTourism, particularly wellness tourism, is a cornerstone of Vision 2030’s plan to diversify Saudi Arabia’s economy. Earlier this year, the Kingdom surpassed its 100 million tourist milestone, seven years ahead of schedule.
Plus, tourism’s GDP contribution has risen from 3 to 7 per cent since Vision 2030’s inception, with a target of 10 per cent by 2030.
The GWI’s new data highlights Wellness Tourism as a standout sector, achieving a 66 per cent annual growth rate (2020–2022). Related sectors, such as Thermal/Mineral Springs and Spas, grew by 41.5 per cent and 35.6 per cent, respectively.
The Wellness Real Estate sector also experienced strong growth, with a 23.4 per cent annual increase.
Red Sea Global: key partner in wellness development
The fresh new report is a product of a partnership with Red Sea Global (RSG), a prominent real estate developer leading ambitious luxury regenerative tourism projects in Saudi Arabia including The Red Sea and Amaala.
“Saudi Arabia is undergoing one of the most substantial and exciting transformations at any time in history. Vision 2030 is seeing the Kingdom establish a thriving nation and a vibrant society by creating new sectors to diversify its economy. One example is tourism, and within this, wellness tourism,” said Lindsay Madden Nadeau, RSG wellness director.
“Through a yearlong collaboration, culminating in this market report and a presence at the Global Wellness Summit in November, we have a baseline of actionable data that helps us understand the country’s current position and future direction,” she added.
“In 2025, we hope to continue working with GWI to improve the availability of such data, driving engagement with other key Saudi stakeholders, and promote awareness of this promising sector for local and international partners.”
The full report is available for free download here.
GWI Saudi Arabia Susie Ellis Lindsay Madden Nadeau Red Sea Global The Red Sea Amaala Lindsay Madden NadeauFinn Partners' new report spotlights major trends poised to shape “golden age of wellness tourism” in 2025
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