Saudi Arabia launches easy travel packages for Pakistanis

RIYADH: The new Tourist Package Visa service will allow people from Pakistan and 6 other countries to easily enjoy their visits to Saudi Arabia by opting for travel packages that have been approved.

Speaking about this latest development, Saudi Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al Khateeb mentioned how launching such an initiative aligns with his country’s Vision 2030 strategy to make travel simpler and increase international tourism in the Kingdom.

As per reports published by the Saudi Ministry of Tourism, the newly launched Tourist Package Visa is also being run on a pilot basis at the moment and is now open to all tourists who are coming from Pakistan, Mexico, Indonesia, Egypt, India, Bangladesh, and Jordan.

Accordingly, the Ministry added that “eligible travelers will be able to obtain their visas in a maximum of 48 hours from when they complete a booking for an approved tourism package.”

Since the start of Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia’s government has made many efforts to increase its attractiveness for tourists with various types of visit visas such as Electronic Tourist Visa (eVisa), Transit Visa, and Visa on Arrival.

Recently, the kingdom introduced another option called the Tourist Package Visa, which allows a tourist to stay in the country longer if he buys some packages offered by local tour operators.

As one of its most important sectors, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has invested huge amounts into developing its tourism industry with several large-scale tourism projects designed to help the nation reach a target of attracting 150 million visitors every year by 2030.