Dammam

Dammam, Saudi Arabia, scores 57 on the TRAIL Index of tourism resilience, #184 of 310 destinations. 28 of 30 measures come from public sources, with 74% confidence. Every grade below states its value, period and source.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• TRAIL Index: 57
• OECD: 59
• UN Tourism: 53
• UNDRR: 41

Strongest

• Short-let density: 0.1 short-term rental listings per 100 dwellings (AirROI, Dammam, Saudi Arabia Airbnb Data 2026: Revenue & Occupancy; JLL, KSA Living Market Dynamics (Q1 2026), 12 months to Sep 2026). At or below 0.5: grade 4/4.
• Access redundancy: 4 independent ways in: international airport, intercity rail, port, motorway (Saudipedia & Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani), 2025–2026). At or above 4: grade 4/4.
• Air traffic recovery: 122.6 % of the same 12 months of 2019, airport passengers (General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), Air Transport Statistics Publication 2024 & 2025, 2025). At or above 110: grade 4/4.

Weakest

• Green space: 9 % of the urban area that is green or tree-covered (UN-Habitat, Dammam City Profile, 2016). Below 10: grade 0/4.
• Tourism crisis and recovery plan: No tourism crisis or recovery plan found (Ministry of Municipalities and Housing (MOMAH), 2025–2026). Grade 0/4.
• Tropical nights: 219.4 nights a year with a minimum at or above 20°C (last 5 full years) (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2021–2025). Above 100: grade 0/4.

Saudi Arabia in the World Economic Forum Travel & Tourism Development Index

Saudi Arabia is #29 of 110 countries (4.45 of 7) in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026, which scores countries, not cities. Cities in countries with that WEF score average 62 on the TRAIL Index; Dammam is 5 below that.

Every measure, by theme

Demand and seasonality: 90

• Nights in the three busiest months: not measured yet
• Domestic share of nights: 78.1 % of nights by residents of the same country (region figure) (Ministry of Tourism Saudi Arabia, Tourism Statistics in KSA 2024 (via Eastern Province Investment and Studies Center Report), 2024). At or above 45: grade 4/4. Source
• Largest foreign market: 12.4 % of international arrivals or nights (country figure) (Ministry of Tourism of Saudi Arabia, Annual Statistical Report 2023, 2023). At or below 15: grade 4/4. Source
• Recovery against 2019: 146.5 % of 2019 visitor nights reached in the latest full year (country figure) (Ministry of Tourism of Saudi Arabia / UN Tourism / Road Genius, 2024). At or above 110: grade 4/4. Source
• Average length of stay: 15.8 nights per visitor (country figure) (Ministry of Tourism of Saudi Arabia, Annual Statistical Report 2023, 2023). At or above 3.5: grade 4/4. Source
• Hotel bed or room occupancy: 55 % average annual occupancy (Knight Frank / STR Global, Saudi Arabia Hospitality Market Review - 2024, 2023). Between 55 and 65: grade 2/4. Source

Economy and jobs: 94

• Jobs in tourism industries: 5 % of employment in accommodation and food services (region figure) (Asharqia Chamber / General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), Workforce numbers in the Eastern Province by economic activity, Q2 2025). At or below 8: grade 4/4. Source
• Unemployment rate: 2.2 % of the labour force (region figure) (General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) via DataSaudi / Argaam, Q2 2026). At or below 5: grade 4/4. Source
• Income per head: 73,784 GDP per capita, USD PPP (country figure) (World Bank WDI, 2025). At or above 60,000: grade 4/4. Source
• Economic diversity: 79.1 % of employment outside accommodation, food, retail and transport (region figure) (Asharqia Chamber / General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), Workforce numbers in the Eastern Province by economic activity, Q2 2025). Between 72 and 80: grade 3/4. Source

Climate and hazards: 35

• Extreme heat days: 176 days a year at or above 35°C (last 5 full years) (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2021–2025). Above 60: grade 0/4. Source
• Tropical nights: 219.4 nights a year with a minimum at or above 20°C (last 5 full years) (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2021–2025). Above 100: grade 0/4. Source
• Flood hazard: high (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 1/4. Source
• Wildfire and storm hazard: low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 3/4. Source
• Country disaster risk: 3.1 INFORM Risk index, 0–10 (country figure) (INFORM Risk (European Commission JRC), INFORM Risk Mid 2026, 2026). Between 2 and 3.5: grade 3/4. Source
• Greenhouse gas emissions per resident: not measured yet

Water and environment: 19

• Water scarcity: high (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 1/4. Source
• Wastewater safely treated: 58 % of domestic wastewater safely treated (country figure) (UN-Water / WHO / UN-Habitat, SDG 6 Data Portal (SDG Indicator 6.3.1), 2024). Between 50 and 70: grade 1/4. Source
• Municipal waste per resident: 657 kg per resident per year (metro figure) (MDPI Sustainability / Studies in Dammam Metropolitan Area, 2025). Between 550 and 700: grade 1/4. Source
• Green space: 9 % of the urban area that is green or tree-covered (UN-Habitat, Dammam City Profile, 2016). Below 10: grade 0/4. Source
• Energy use per resident: not measured yet

Community and housing: 67

• Tourism intensity: 20.4 visitor nights per resident per year (region figure) (Ministry of Tourism Saudi Arabia & General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), 2024). Between 20 and 40: grade 1/4. Source
• Cruise pressure: not measured yet
• Rent growth: 3.5 % change in rents over the last 12 months (country figure) (General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), Consumer Price Index, September 2026). Between 3 and 6: grade 3/4. Source
• Short-let density: 0.1 short-term rental listings per 100 dwellings (AirROI, Dammam, Saudi Arabia Airbnb Data 2026: Revenue & Occupancy; JLL, KSA Living Market Dynamics (Q1 2026), 12 months to Sep 2026). At or below 0.5: grade 4/4. Source
• Resident support for tourism: not measured yet

Access and continuity: 50

• Access redundancy: 4 independent ways in: international airport, intercity rail, port, motorway (Saudipedia & Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani), 2025–2026). At or above 4: grade 4/4. Source
• Air traffic recovery: 122.6 % of the same 12 months of 2019, airport passengers (General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), Air Transport Statistics Publication 2024 & 2025, 2025). At or above 110: grade 4/4. Source
• Rail share of intercity access: not measured yet
• Rail traffic recovery: not measured yet
• Largest airline group share: not measured yet
• Air route concentration: not measured yet
• Early warning and emergency plan: A national system only; no city plan found (General Directorate of Civil Defense & Saudi Press Agency, 2025–2026). Grade 1/4. Source
• Tourism crisis and recovery plan: No tourism crisis or recovery plan found (Ministry of Municipalities and Housing (MOMAH), 2025–2026). Grade 0/4. Source
• Government effectiveness: 71.7 World Bank WGI percentile rank, 0–100 (country figure) (World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025). Between 60 and 80: grade 3/4. Source
• Travel advisory: 3 stricter of the US and Canadian government advisory for the country, 1 (normal precautions) to 4 (do not travel) (country figure) (US State Department and Government of Canada travel advisories, 2026-10-28). Between 2.5 and 3: grade 1/4. Source
• Dedicated tourism funding: A promotion budget that depends each year on the general budget (Saudi Ministry of Tourism & Ministry of Municipalities and Housing, 2024–2026). Grade 1/4. Source

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