Cairo: Overseas tourists, who visited Saudi Arabia in the first quarter of the year, spent more than SR45 billion, an increase of 22.9% against the corresponding period last year, according to official figures.
Meanwhile, travellers from Saudi Arabia spent around SR21 billion abroad in the same period, figures from the Saudi central bank showed.
The rise in spending comes amid a thriving tourism industry in the kingdom, which has offered a host of facilities to attract more holidaymakers.
In May, citizens of three more countries became eligible to obtain Saudi Arabia’s electronic visit visa, raising the total number of countries whose nationals can benefit from the system to 66.
The three countries added to the system are the Commonwealth Caribbean countries of the Bahamas, Barbados, and Grenada.
The move came to consolidate the kingdom’s openness to the world and boost its tourism industry that aims to raise the number of international tourist arrivals to 70 million by the year 2030.
Other travellers eligible to apply for this type of the visa include residents in the US, the UK, the EU countries and holders of visit visas to the US, UK, the Schengen area and residents in the Gulf Cooperation Council.
100 million tourists
Saudi Arabia has also introduced a 96-hour transit visa, allowing the holder to perform Umrah or minor pilgrimage, visit the Prophet Mohammad’s Mosque in Medina and attend different events across the kingdom.
The free-of-charge transit visa is issued automatically with the passenger’s ticket. Passengers can apply for the transit visa through the electronic platforms of Saudi national carriers, Saudia and Flynas.
Saudi Arabia’s tourism industry has flourished in recent years. The number of tourists in the kingdom surged to more than 100 million last year. Saudi Tourism Minister Ahmed Al Khateeb said earlier this year the kingdom’s tourism sector in 2023 fulfilled a target of 100 million tourists including 77 million local visitors and 27 million tourist arrivals.
He cited a strategy charted by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman envisaging 150 million tourists annually in the country by 2030 including 80 million domestic tourists and 70 foreign million arrivals.
The aim is also to make Saudi Arabia rank among the world’s top 10 tourist attractors.
