Saudi Arabia threw open its doors to foreign tourists on Friday, launching a new...
RIYADH - Saudi Arabia threw open its doors to foreign tourists on Friday, launching a new visa regime for 49 countries and appealing to foreign companies to invest in a sector it hopes will contribute 10% of gross domestic product by 2030.
Tourism chief Ahmed al-Khateeb told Reuters in an interview ahead of the official announcement that abayas will not be mandatory for women tourists but modest dress is, including at public beaches. More details, including which countries are eligible, were expected later on Friday. Khateeb said China, Japan, Europe and the United States were among the top outbound targets.
The move is part of de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s ambitious plans to develop new industries to wean the world’s top oil exporter off crude and open up society including by introducing previously banned entertainment. Tourism is high on the crown prince’s agenda, despite a shortage of infrastructure. To drive growth, Khateeb estimated some 250 billion riyals of investments are needed, including 500,000 new hotel rooms by 2030 — half at government-backed mega projects and half from private investors.
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