Overview

• Visitor flows from Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait have surged since 2019, with Sergei Lavrov citing a sixfold jump in Saudi arrivals between 2023 and 2024.
• Authorities have simplified entry rules, promoted Russia in Arabic on TikTok and Instagram, and are pursuing a visa‑free travel deal with Riyadh.
• Gulf carriers expanded links, with Flynas flying Riyadh–Moscow, Saudia adding routes, and Air Arabia planning service to Yekaterinburg.
• Gulf guests spend more and skew upscale, as hotel platform Ostrovok reports roughly 30% higher per‑night outlays than Europeans and about 80% booking four‑ or five‑star hotels, including interest in tank rides and Kalashnikov or RPG shooting.
• Operational frictions persist, with Western cards not accepted, GPS disruptions affecting apps, and a Sharm el‑Sheikh–St. Petersburg flight diverting to Tallinn on August 24 after a drone attack near Pulkovo was reported.