By Rafiq Vayani
RIYADH/DUBAI: Saudi announces new instant e-visa options that from today, will facilitate UK, US, and Schengen visas holders, as well as permanent residents of UK, US, and any EU country to obtain tourist e-visas to Saudi through www.mofa.gov.sa. Saudi has previously extended regulation to provide visas on arrival to the six categories, this is just the latest step as Saudi makes it easier than ever for visitors to experience the authentic home of Arabia and contribute to Saudi’s vision of reaching 100 million visits annually by 2030.
Since opening to tourism in 2019, Saudi has become one of the fastest-growing tourism markets globally, recording 93.5 million visits in 2022. This achievement is a result of the tremendous efforts of destinations across Saudi in providing visitors with unparalleled experiences and a seamless travel journey.
Saudi Tourism Authority is accelerating efforts to make it easier for visitors from across the world to travel to Saudi. Through digitization, Saudi is increasing accessibility and connectivity, providing simplified entry routes to visitors, focused on enabling all travelers to enjoy our natural and cultural diversity.
The new instant e-visa is among several initiatives that Saudi has launched over the past year to improve the visitor experience.
In 2022, Saudi Tourism Authority launched the Nusuk platform in collaboration with the Pilgrim Experience Program. Nusuk, Saudi’s first ever official integrated digital platform, provides pilgrims and visitors an easy-to-use planning gateway for their journeys to Makkah, Madinah, and beyond.
Saudi has previously extended regulation to provide visas on arrival to holders of valid US, UK, and Schengen visas as well as permanent residents of UK, US, and any EU country and e-visa eligibility was extended to residents of the GCC. Earlier this year, Saudi also announced the launch of a new Stopover Visa. Free-of-charge and available to passengers travelling on SAUDIA and flynas, the visa is open to an even greater number of countries than the historic tourism e-visa and will allow visitors to stay in the country for up to 96 hours.
Saudi is an under-discovered destination with a rich cultural tradition and a great deal to offer. In Diriyah, the birthplace of Saudi, travelers can experience the luxury shopping and fine dining of Bujairi Terrace and at the UNESCO World Heritage site in AlUla, immerse in a living museum holding over 200,000 years of human history. In Jeddah, visitors can explore the old historical district, Al Balad and this year, the world’s most ambitious luxury tourism destination, the Red Sea Development, will debut its first hotels including Six Senses, St. Regis and a Ritz-Carlton Reserve.
More information on the Saudi tourist e-visa can be found at www.visitsaudi.com/en/travel-regulations and @AskVisitSaudi.
