Saudi Arabia achieved the highest semi-annual surplus ever for the travel item in the balance of payments during the first half of 2023, soaring 327 percent, reaching $10.6 billion, compared to the first half of 2022. The Ministry of Tourism announced that the Kingdom ranked second globally in the growth rate of tourist arrivals during the first seven months of 2023. The UNWTO Barometer, issued by the World Tourism Organization (WTO) last month, showed that the Kingdom recorded a growth rate of 58 percent compared to the same period in 2019.