Free four-day visa introduced for Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has announced a new transit visa, for passengers booked on Saudi Arabian airlines – Saudia Airlines or Flynas- with a stopover in the country.
The visa has a validity of three months and will be issued free of cost. This means that you can apply for the visa up to 90 days before you travel.
It will allow you to stay in Saudi Arabia for 96 hours/four days, and perform Umrah, visit the Prophet’s [PBUH] mosque, or attend tourism events.
“In partnership with our national air carriers, Saudia and Flynas, we are using digital platforms to provide an instant Stopover Visa, which only enhances Saudi’s accessibility and our world-class destination offering,” said Fahd Hamidaddin, chief executive and Saudi Tourism Authority board member.
The new move comes as part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 strategy to boost tourism and make it one of the main tributaries of the national economy and to enhance the Kingdom’s position as a global tourist.
The Kingdom aims to attract investments worth 220 billion Saudi Riyals in the tourism sector by 2023 and 500 billion Saudi Riyals by 2030, according to previous statements by the Minister of Tourism.
Earlier this month, Saudia Airlines spokesperson Abdullah al-Shahrani announced that the airline would offer the service of issuing a tourist visa for free when purchasing a ticket.
This is the latest in a raft of visa reforms in Saudi Arabia, most recently with the introduction of visa-on-arrival for certain passport holders in September 2022.
“Today’s announcement of Saudi’s inaugural Stopover Visa is a landmark example of integrated public and private sector cooperation,” said Fahd Hamidaddin, Saudi Tourism Authority CEO in a statement.
“Four of the Top Ten global routes were in or out of Saudi airports in 2022, a testament to the appeal of destination Saudi.”
Ahmed al-Khateeb, Minister of Tourism, added: “The new Stopover Visa is yet another proof point in Saudi’s commitment to developing and encouraging growth in the tourism sector.”
“It is open for travelers passing through Saudi on our national carriers whether for leisure, business or Umrah.”
Source: http://bit.ly/3laGRia
