Saudi Arabia to Begin Issuing Select Tourist Visas to Tens of Thousands of Foreigners a Year

by Adam

As part of a national reform plan of showcasing the “country’s rich heritage”, Saudi Arabia plans to begin issuing select visas to tens of thousands of tourists a year as per US News & World Report. The plan is part of a strategy to lessen their dependence on oil, though the country won’t be “totally open for everybody to just show up and come in.”

“It is open for people that are doing business, for people working in Saudi Arabia, investing in Saudi Arabia, and people who are visiting for special purposes. And now it will be open for tourism again on a selected basis.”

As per US News & World Report:

The religiously conservative country currently does not issue tourist visas, though it ran a pilot program between 2006 and 2010 welcoming around 25,000 visitors annually to see Saudi Arabia’s ancient archaeological sites and vast landscapes of mountains, coastline, valleys, volcanoes and deserts. No date has been set for when tourist visas will be issued again. The tourism commission’s figures show that around 245,000 Saudis work in the tourism sector. The target is to boost that to 352,000 by 2020 and to see investment in tourism upped by $8 billion to reach nearly $46 billion.

 Full details here.
Saudi Arabia

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6 comments

Garrett May 27, 2016 - 11:47 am

No thanks.

Reply
Bobby J May 27, 2016 - 12:14 pm

Will public decapitations be part of any tours?

Reply
Ally garcia May 27, 2016 - 12:33 pm

Low oil prices are hitting them hard.
Not giving my money to these barbarians who support Isis troops who kill our country men and other minority Muslim groups in the Middle East..

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John Holmes May 27, 2016 - 3:16 pm

Who wants to go to this shit place.

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Mike S. May 27, 2016 - 7:16 pm

Vile Wahhabi cunts – would never visit this place if you paid me.

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Bob the Diver June 30, 2016 - 6:50 pm

About time, refusing to issue tourist visa to those who actually do want to visit has been ridiculous. I realize the country isn’t for everyone, but I’m a diver and their Red Sea coastline is very appealing.

Reply

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