Saudi Arabia: Visitor can use foreign driving licence for 1 year
Multiple facilities offered to draw foreign tourists to the kingdom
Cairo: Saudi traffic authorities have said a visitor is allowed to use a foreign driving licence for one year in the kingdom, which is seeking to attract more tourists as part of efforts to diversify its oil-reliant economy.
The visitor can use the international driving licence or a valid foreign licence for one year from the date of entering the kingdom or the expiry date, depending on the nearest date, the Saudi General Traffic Department said.
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The department was answering a query from an expatriate if a business visitor to the kingdom on a multiple entry visa can use a valid foreign driving licence.
In recent years, the kingdom has offered a set of facilities designed to draw more foreign tourists to the country. They include the issuance of tourist visas on arrival or online for citizens of several nationalities.
In July, Saudi Arabia launched a business visit electronic visa, dubbed the “visiting investor visia”, aimed to facilitate a foreigner’s trip to the kingdom to explore investment opportunities there.
The kingdom aims to receive 25 million foreign tourists this year.
Saudi Arabia, Islam’s birthplace, has in recent months introduced a slew of facilities for Muslims wishing to come to the country to perform Umrah or lesser pilgrimage.
Muslims holding different types of entry visas such as the personal, visit and tourism visas are allowed to undertake Umrah and visit Al Rawda Al Sharifa, where the tomb of the Prophet Mohammed (Peace Be Upon Him) is located in the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina.
Saudi citizens can apply for visas inviting their friends abroad to visit the kingdom and undertake Umrah.
Saudi Arabia has also issued a stopover transit visa, allowing the holder to perform Umrah, visit the Prophet’s Mosque and attend different events across the kingdom. The four-day transit visa is valid for 90 days.