RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Tourism issued more than 400,000 tourist visas in the first six months of its new tourist visa system following its launch in September 2019, the ministry has confirmed.
The new system allowed citizens from 49 countries the opportunity to apply for an e-visa online or get a visa on arrival into Saudi Arabia for the first time.
The ministry said that the new system helped to boost investment in the tourism sector, develop the national economy and increase job opportunities within the sector. The Kingdom aims to increase the tourism sector’s contribution to the gross domestic product (GDP) to 10 percent by 2030.