Women over 25 can now go to Saudi Arabia alone
JEDDAH: Women aged 25 and above can be granted a tourist visa to go to Saudi Arabia alone, says the Saudi government.
Arab News, in a report yesterday, quoted a spokesman for the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH) as saying that women under 25, however, must be accompanied by a family member.
The news portal quoted Omar Al-Mubarak, director-general of the commission’s Licensing Department, as saying: “The tourist visa will be a single-entry visa and valid for 30 days. This visa is added to those available in the kingdom. It is independent of work, visit, haj and umrah visas.”
SCTH recently said the start of tourism visa issuance would be announced during the first quarter of the year.
“The executive regulations for tourist visas have been finalised. The commission’s Information Technology Department is building an electronic system for the issuance of tourist visas, coordinating with representatives of the National Information Centre and the Foreign Ministry,” AlMubarak told Arab News.
During Saudi Arabia’s trial period of implementing the tourist visa system between 2008 and 2010, more than 32,000 tourists visited the kingdom. Their visa procedures were facilitated by tour operators licensed by SCTH.
The tourism visa initiative is meant to revive the previous tourist visa system and boost the tourism sector, while creating more jobs for citizens.
The initiative is part of the National Transformation Programme 2020 and the commission’s efforts to achieve Vision 2030, which gives more attention to the tourism industry.