Saudi Arabia to issue tourist visas soon

Saudi Arabia plans to start issuing visas soon to boost the Kingdom’s tourism industry, said Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdul Aziz, head of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH).

A system has already been set up for the issuance of tourist visas, as the commission has been working with the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the issue, he added.

The Kingdom's untapped entertainment and tourism industry is being considered as one of the pillars of the Vision 2030 economic reform plan.

The country has untapped access to the Red Sea coast, and is home to two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, namely the Madain Saleh in the northwest, built by the ancient Nabateans; and Diriyah, a small historic city about 20 kilometres from the capital, Riyadh. 

Until now, Saudi Arabia has mainly focused on religious tourism. The Kingdom welcomed 18 million visitors last year. 

As part of its widescale economic reform plan, the country recently announced the Red Sea Project, a coastal lagoon covering about 50 untouched islands, located along more than 150 kilometers of the unpopulated coastline. The project will inlclude beach resorts, as well as underwater nature reserves.