Saudi Arabia about to announce official tourist visa details

Saudi Arabia’s new tourist visa could be a blessing for expats contemplating a move to the emirate.

Given the online coverage of the good, the bad and the decidedly ugly from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states, would-be expat professionals might well welcome a straightforward way to examine the region before committing to a relocation.

Getting a brief feel of this unique destination with its unfamiliar lifestyle might well help those considering the move to make the right decision based on their personal needs. According to the Saudi Press Agency, much that’s been reported on the subject of a new tourist visa has been inaccurate as it’s been based on unapproved government deliberations. Nationality specifications, requirements and other issues are still under discussion, but full details should be able to be released by the end of this year’s first quarter.

Preparations for the tourist visa are being carried out via coordination between representatives of Saudi’s ministry of foreign affairs and the ministry of the interior. Earlier reports suggested citizens of all countries who can now visit the Kingdom will be entitled to apply for tourist visas, along with all Muslims who can already get a post-Umrah tourist visa for the period after their visit to Mecca.

Saudi’s ‘trial period’ for tourism visas began in 2008 and ended in 2010, with over 32,000 visitors to the country able to obtain the visa through tour operators licensed by the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCNH).The aim of the new visa is to bring back the successful trial and make it permanent, enabling visitors to discover as yet unseen destinations within the Kingdom. The initiative is expected to deliver a boost to the tourism industry and develop heritage service as well as improving facilities for tourists within Saudi Arabia. Hopefully, it may also make visiting expat relatives working in Saudi less of a bureaucratic chore.