Tourist visa rules completed in Saudi

The Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTNH) has announced that the regulations for tourist visas have been completed and submitted to the higher authorities for approval, said a SCTNH statement quoted by the Center of International Communication (CIC).

The regulations were reviewed in a series of meetings and workshops with relevant government institutions. Beyond the governmental review, investors, tourism and transport workers, and groups of beneficiaries and service providers were also given a chance to comment.

Photo Courtesy: SeeSaudi

An integrated electronic system to process and record visa transactions has been developed under the supervision of a specialized team headed by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.

SCTNH has worked in accordance with the National Tourism Development Strategy to provide a comprehensive vision for the development of tourist visas which were granted to a limited number of individuals prior to the establishment of SCTNH.

“The National Transformation Program 2020 has adopted the ‘tourist visa’ as one of the important initiatives with high economic feasibility,” the statement said.

Saudi Arabia plans to double the number of incoming travellers to 30 million within the next 12 years, up from 18 million in 2016 when it earned $11.9 billion in tourism receipts, primarily from visitors in the kingdom to perform Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages.

At present, approximately 900,000 Saudis work in the travel and tourism sector.