New move by the young Saudi Arabian ruler: Issuing tourist visas to improve the economy……
Saudi Arabia aims to start issuing tourist visas to foreigners next year, a senior official told, as the government seeks to open up the kingdom and find new sources of revenue to diversify its economy.
At present, foreigners travelling to Saudi Arabia are largely restricted to resident workers and their dependents, business travellers, and Muslim pilgrims who are given special visas to travel to holy sites.
“The targets are people who want to come and literally experience this country, and really the grandness of this country,” said Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, head of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Natural Heritage.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is seeking to develop new industries to wean his country off its dependency on oil exports. He has also taken some steps to loosen its ultra-strict social restrictions, scaling back the role of religious morality police and announcing plans to allowing women to drive next year.
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