Saudi to offer first-ever international tourist visas

Saudi Arabia will open its doors to international tourists for the first time under a new visa regime to be announced Friday evening, the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage said.
The move is part of the kingdom’s efforts to boost tourism. Riyadh aims to increase international and domestic visits to 100 million a year by 2030. “Opening Saudi Arabia to international tourists is a historic moment for our country,” Ahmad Al-Khateeb, Chairman of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage, said in a media release on Friday.
Saudi Arabia has long been one of the hardest countries for tourists to enter, with visas only granted for short-term business trips, religious pilgrimage, or for travelers with family in the country.