Azerbaijan becomes top destination for Middle Eastern tourists in 2025

Azerbaijan has emerged as an increasingly popular destination for travelers from the Middle East, welcoming 273,116 tourists from the region between January and November 2025, marking an 11.7% increase compared to the same period in 2024.

Saudi Arabia remained the largest source of visitors, with 99,196 tourists, reflecting a 5.7% year-on-year increase. Israel contributed 59,917 tourists, more than doubling the previous year’s figure, while the United Arab Emirates accounted for 37,041 visitors, a slight decline of 1.7%, Caliber.Az reports per local media.

Tourist flows from other Middle Eastern countries varied significantly: Kuwait sent 24,566 visitors (-16.7%), Oman 15,774 (-32.6%), Jordan 9,745 (+49.6%), Egypt 7,338 (-3.7%), Iraq 6,631 (+29.8%), Bahrain 4,717 (-13.9%), Yemen 2,854 (-6.3%), Qatar 2,434 (-18.3%), Lebanon 1,270 (-2.1%), Palestine 1,257 (+10.4%), and Syria 376 (-5.8%).

Despite the regional growth, the overall number of international visitors to Azerbaijan slightly declined. Between January and November 2025, the country hosted 2,364,000 foreign nationals and stateless persons from 189 countries, representing a 2% decrease compared to the same period in 2024.

By Vafa Guliyeva