Saudi Arabia has decided to liberalise its visa rules for Indian tourists. Any Indian holding a US, UK or Schengen passport and travelling by the Saudi national carrier – Saudia for tourism will be offered visa-on-arrival in Saudi Arabia.
Such visa holders need to visit the visa issuing country before landing at any Saudi airport via Saudia. On September Saudi Arabia had announced that it will offer tourist visas for the first time, opening up the conservative kingdom to tourists as per their plans to diversify their economy and reduce its reliance on petroleum exports.
Tourism forms any important part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 reform programme to prepare the kingdom’s economy for a post-oil era.
