RIYADH, Sept 28 (NNN-SPA) – Saudi Arabia launched, on Friday, the e-tourist visa.
Announced in a ceremony to mark World Tourism Day in Riyadh, the first phase of the new service would cover citizens of 49 countries, in which they could obtain their visas via the website or on arrival.
The ceremony, organised by the Saudi Commission for Tourism & National Heritage, highlighted that, according to national tourism strategy, the kingdom would receive more than 100 million visitors in 2030, compared with 41 million individuals at present.
The initiative is part of plans for Saudi Arabia to be among the first five countries, in the number of tourists, in the world by 2030, with revenues of 10 percent of the GDP, rather than the current three percent, along with the creation of 1.6 million jobs.
The commission chairman, Ahmed Al Khateeb, told the ceremony that, the service doesn’t only cover tourists, but investors as well, revealing the attraction of 30.6 billion U.S. dollars of investments in tourism projects until now.– NNN-SPA
