Saudi Arabia visa laws: 'Historic moment' as country opens doors to foreign tourists for first time

The ultra-conservative country will welcome tourists as it relaxes some of its strict laws, including its dress code for women
AFP/Getty Images
Harriet Brewis @HattieBrewis27 September 2019

Saudi Arabia is opening up to international tourists for the first time in what ministers are calling a “historic moment”.

Today, the ultra-conservative kingdom will launch a visa regime for 49 countries and relax its strict dress codes for female visitors.

The Middle Eastern country has been largely closed off for decades, but in recent years it has begun easing up on some of its most hard-line policies.

These include the segregation of men and women in public places, and the requirement that women wear all-covering black robes.

The country’s tourism minister Ahmad al-Khateeb has described the new tourist visa scheme as a "historic moment" for the country.

The Qasr al-Farid tomb in Madain Saleh is one of the country's five Unesco World Heritage sites
AFP/Getty Images

Until now, visas have largely been restricted to business travellers, expatriate workers and Muslim pilgrims who are given special permission to visit Mecca and Medina.

"Visitors will be surprised by the treasures we have to share – five Unesco World Heritage Sites, a vibrant local culture and breathtaking natural beauty,” Mr al-Khateeb said.

But he added that alcohol, which is illegal in the Muslim country, will remain banned.

"We will have enough tourists to come to Saudi Arabia to enjoy other things,” he said.

Mr al-Khateeb also explained that the full black robes, called abayas, will not be compulsory for women tourists.

However, modest dress will remain mandatory, including at public beaches.

Visas will be available online for around £65, with no restrictions for unaccompanied women – as was previously the law.

Access to the Muslim holy cities of Mecca and Medina will be restricted.

Hajj 2019 - In pictures

1/21

More details, including which countries are eligible, are expected to be released later on Friday.

Mr Khateeb said China, Japan, Europe and the US were among the top outbound targets.

Plans to admit significant numbers of leisure tourists have been discussed for years, only to be blocked by conservative opinion and bureaucracy.

An e-visa for sporting events and concerts was introduced last December.

The move is part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's ambitious plans to cut the country’s economic dependence on oil, particularly in the wake of the attacks on two key oil refineries earlier this month.

The prince, Saudi’s de facto ruler, has also received international praise for introducing a number of liberal reforms, such as giving women the right to drive and ending a ban on cinemas last year.

However, his image has been tarnished by the country’s involvement in the devastating war in Yemen, as well as the arrest of critics including prominent women activists.

He has also faced fierce criticism from world leader’s for last year's murder of Jamal Khashoggi.

The 32-year-old admits he bears responsibility for the journalist’s brutal death “because it happened under my watch”, according to a new documentary to be broadcast next week.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in