Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — Nearly 81.6 percent of Saudi individuals visited at least one cultural event or activity in 2024, according to the 2024 Household Culture and Entertainment Survey by the Kingdom’s General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT).
The survey said that 85.3 percent attended at least one entertainment event or activity. The data showed that 65.8 percent of individuals visited parks and gardens, 40.5 percent attended national celebrations, and 2.5 percent participated in literary gatherings and poetry evenings.
Regarding cultural activities, the most frequently practiced activity was cooking at 20.4 percent, followed by fine arts at 9.7 percent, while fashion design recorded the lowest participation at 1.7 percent. Meanwhile, 48.5 percent of individuals read books, 38.2 percent read newspapers, and 17.2 percent read magazines. The survey also indicated that 61.9 percent of individuals visited shopping malls, 60.2 percent spent time in the desert or on the beach, and 8.8 percent visited water parks.
The most practiced recreational and sports activity during leisure time was walking at 66.4 percent, followed by football at 17.6 percent, while the least practiced activities were handball and basketball, both at 0.4 percent.