Saudi Arabia is a Middle Eastern country occupying a majority of the Arabian Peninsula with coastlines covering much of the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf while the country’s borders also meet Jordan on the northwestern side and Iraq and Kuwait on the northeastern side. Yemen is in the south, UAE on the southeast, and Bahrain and Qatar on the eastern side of this country.
Tourism is among the main pillars of the Saudi government’s Vision 2030 plan. The kingdom is aiming to attract 100 million tourists annually by the year 2030 and boost the tourism industry, which contributes 10% of its GDP.
The e-Visa stands for Electronic Visa Service. E-Visa is a form of Visa you can apply for online. It is easy to apply for visas through the online portal as it is just a click away. A passport, ID card, and additional documents are necessary to apply for an e-Visa. The e-Visa saves you the struggle, time, and bureaucratic procedures. It is done by just scanning a few required documents, uploading them, filling up the required information needed, paying the required fees then awaiting the arrival of your visa. It is issued online which makes it easy for the applicant to receive the visa.
Saudi Arabia offers e-visa related to tourism. The e-Visa for tourists is valid for one year. It can be used for multiple entries the entire year or a single entry depending on the country you are applying from. The e-Visa stay validity per visit is up to 90 days and it is not applicable for studying or working in Saudi Arabia.
The Saudi Arabia Visa is suitable for more than 50 countries. An applicant may check the whole list of the fit nation for e-Visa to know whether he can smear for the E-Visa.
Saudi Arabia attracts two types of tourists- those looking for recreation and those arriving for religious rituals and activities. So, the country is host to recreational and religious tourism. Additionally, the kingdom has opened its borders to the international world after launching the tourist e-visa. So, the travel and tourism sectors have undergone an unprecedented advancements and modification.
Given the kingdom’s rich cultural roots and heritage for being the birthplace of Islam and as one of the oldest trade hubs in the world, it is an attractive destination for tourists from all parts of the world. The country has evolved considerably and previously strict societal rules have been greatly relaxed. Saudi society has become much modernized and that’s why apart from pilgrimage tourism, it is one of the most sought destinations for recreational tourism.
Candidates must be 18 years old at least to apply for an e-visa. Minors would require an adult to apply on their behalf as they cannot apply on their own. Those applying on behalf of a minor must have legal authority to do so otherwise the application will be rejected. Apart from that, you must possess a valid and authentic passport to apply for the visa. Make sure the passport is valid for at least six months after your arrival in Saudi Arabia with an e-visa otherwise it is better to get it renewed before applying.
Not all foreigners require a visa for Saudi Arabia. Visitors from some countries can enter without a visa for a limited time.
Some nationalities allowed to enter Kingdom of Saudi Arabia without a visa are:
Passport holders from these countries cannot apply for Saudi Arabia visas online. Since they do not meet the Saudi Arabia eVisa eligibility requirements, they must apply for a traditional visa through a diplomatic mission:
Tourists in Saudi Arabia must familiarize them with local public decency norms. For instance, as per the country’s law, males and females must modestly dress. Their knees and shoulders must be fully covered in public places. Furthermore, foreign visitors should avoid wearing tight-fitting clothes or clothing featuring indecent, profane images and language.
Winter season is the best time to visit Saudi Arabia. October onwards the country’s weather gets breezy and somewhat colder than it usually is. This weather continues until March. But, Asi Mountain in the country’s South Western part are inaccessible during winters because of excessive fog.
Therefore, you should visit it before November and after February. In KSA, winter are generally pleasant since the max temperature remains 30 degrees centigrade. You can expect light rainfall too. On the other hand, summers are extremely hot and temperatures almost always cross 40 degrees centigrade and may reach 50 degrees. Since it is a hot desert, the country receives less rainfall during summers. KSA’s climate is among the world’s driest.
Previously, Saudi Arabian government didn’t allow unmarried foreign couples to rent hotel rooms together anywhere in the country. However, KSA has implemented a new visa policy, allowing female tourists to stay in hotel rooms along, and unmarried couples can also rent rooms. Before this policy, couples visiting KSA had to prove they were married without which they couldn’t rent room in a hotel.
Now that the government of KSA is looking to grow its tourism industry, they have relaxed their strict, and religiously conservative tourism policies. After this policy, Saudi nationals must show family ID or proof of relationship to book hotel room whereas foreign tourists can book a room with their ID only. Alcohol consumption is banned in the country and modest dressing is a mandatory requirement for all tourists.
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