How to Get a Saudi Tourist Visa

Sun, 22 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

How to Get a Saudi Tourist Visa

Saudi Arabia’s tourist visa, introduced in September 2019, marked a historic opening of the Kingdom to international leisure travellers. Previously, non-business and non-religious visitors had extremely limited access to Saudi Arabia. The tourist visa programme, a cornerstone of Vision 2030’s tourism strategy, enables citizens of eligible countries to visit the Kingdom for tourism, events, leisure, and Umrah. The application process is straightforward, predominantly digital, and designed to facilitate the Kingdom’s target of attracting 150 million annual visits by 2030.

Ministry of Tourism (MOT): Role in Saudi Vision 2030

Sun, 22 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Ministry of Tourism KPIs and Vision 2030 Role

The Ministry of Tourism (MOT) is the Saudi institution accountable for turning Vision 2030 tourism targets into policy, regulation, destination development, and measurable KPIs. Its mandate centres on the 100 million annual visits target, the tourist visa reforms, hospitality investment, and the coordination of Saudi Arabia’s emerging global tourism offer.

The scale of the ambition is difficult to overstate. Saudi Arabia received approximately 41 million visits in 2023, a figure dominated by religious pilgrimage to Makkah and Madinah. The 100-million target implies creating entirely new demand streams in leisure, cultural, adventure, and business tourism, requiring investment in hospitality infrastructure, destination development, workforce training, and global marketing on a scale that few countries have attempted.

Tourist-Visa on SAUDI VISION 2030 Intelligence Platform

How to Get a Saudi Tourist Visa