RIYADH – Saudi Arabia announced on Friday that the Kingdom will open its doors to foreign tourists, and lift off the suspension of entry for tourist visa holders, starting from August 1, 2021.
The restrictions, according to a Saudi news agency, were lifted after 17 months.
Fully vaccinated tourists will be allowed to enter, the Saudi Ministry of Tourism said, adding that the visitors will be required to show their vaccination certificate and PCR test upon arrival.
It noted that those who are fully vaccinated with one of the approved vaccines in the Kingdom, which is Pfizer, AstraZeneca or Moderna, or one dose of Johnson & Johnson, will be allowed to enter the kingdom.
On this occasion, the Saudi Minister of Tourism, Ahmed Al-Khateeb, said: “We welcome tourists again, and we are very happy to receive the Kingdom’s guests again after a pause due to the repercussions of the Coronavirus pandemic.”
He added: “We focused our efforts during the pause on close cooperation with our partners in all sectors to ensure a safe return through which visitors to the Kingdom can enjoy exploring its tourist treasures, important destinations and landmarks, enjoy unique tourist experiences and learn about the culture of generosity and hospitality characterizing Saudi society.”
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia had launched the tourist visa in September 2019, in a historic decision in which the Kingdom opened its heart and its doors to tourists from different countries of the world, and at that time achieved remarkable numbers as 400,000 visas were issued within 6 months, before the suspension of travel and the closure of ports and borders following the pandemic of coronavirus, Saudi state broadcaster reported.
Read more: https://pakobserver.net/pakistan-requests-saudi-arabia-to-ease-flight-visa-restrictions/
