A tomb at Madain Saleh, a UNESCO World Heritage site near Saudi Arabiaâs northwestern town of al-Ula is tipped to become a popular tourist attraction Â
Â
Â
RIYADH (AFP) â Saudi Arabia said yesterday it will offer tourist visas for the first time, opening up the ultra-conservative kingdom to holidaymakers as part of a push to diversify its economy away from oil.
Kickstarting tourism is one of the centrepieces of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salmanâs Vision 2030 reform programme to prepare the biggest Arab economy for a post-oil era.
The announcement comes just two weeks after devastating attacks on Saudi Arabiaâs oil infrastructure blamed by Washington on Iran which roiled global energy markets and raised fears of a wider regional conflict.
âOpening Saudi Arabia to international tourists is a historic moment for our country,â tourism chief Ahmed al-Khateeb said in a statement. âVisitors will be surprised by the treasures we have to share â five UNESCO World Heritage Sites, a vibrant local culture and breathtaking natural beauty.â
Saudi Arabia will open applications for online tourist visas to citizens of 49 countries today, Bloomberg News quoted Khateeb as saying.
Khateeb said the kingdom will also ease its strict dress code for foreign women, allowing them to go without the body-shrouding abaya robe that is still mandatory public wear for Saudi women. Visas in the desert kingdom, endowed with rich bedouin heritage and archaeological sites, are currently restricted to expat workers, their dependents and Muslim pilgrims travelling to holy sites in Mecca and Medina.
In a rare move, Saudi Arabia last year began issuing temporary visas to visitors to attend sporting and cultural events in a bid to kickstart tourism. It says by 2030 it aims to attract up to 100 million annual visits by both domestic and foreign tourists.
But the kingdom currently lacks the infrastructure to accomodate visitors in such high numbers, with officials estimating 500,000 new hotel rooms will be required nationwide over the coming decade.
The sector is expected to create up to one million tourism jobs, the government says, as it battles high youth unemployment.
Saudi Arabia has splurged billions in an attempt to build a tourism industry from scratch.
In 2017, the kingdom announced a multi-billion dollar project to turn 50 islands and other pristine sites on the Red Sea into luxury resorts.
Last year, construction of Qiddiya âentertainment cityâ was launched near Riyadh, which would include high-end theme parks, motor sport facilities and a safari area.
The country is also developing historic sites such as the centuries-old Madaâin Saleh, home to sandstone tombs of the same civilisation which built the Jordanian city of Petra
Cinnamon Grand Colombo on Friday was adjudged the ‘Best 5-Star Hotel’ in the city along…
Sri Lanka is preparing to mark a major milestone in its tourism recovery, with the…
The Government has decided to provide Rs. 100,000 per hectare for farmers whose crops were…
Pulled from the mud as an infant after the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004…
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, in his Christmas Day message, has urged the nation to transcend…
Veteran Sri Lankan singer Priya Suriyasena has passed away at the age of 80.