Infrastructure development forces Saudi Arabia to suspend tourist visa programs

“Discover! Saudi Arabia”- the major tourism program is put on hold and the Saudi Arabia government has decided to suspend a limited tourist visa program until the

tourism infrastructure is improved.

 
As far as official statements, Prince Sultan bin Salman, Secretary-General of the Supreme Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA), told that these tourism plans are temporarily put on hold to allow the government to focus on developing the tourism infrastructure in the kingdom and make it more attractive to the locals before considering welcoming foreign visitors.

 
Under the program, tour operators in places like the U.S. and Japan worked with the country’s flagship carrier Saudi Airlines to organize trips for small groups of tourists.

 
Meanwhile, the government is preparing to launch a new program that will allow Muslim pilgrims who come to perform Umrah to visit tourist and historical sites. Known as the “Extended Umrah Tourism Program,” the scheme that is going to be launched later this month will give visitors from 65 countries a chance to stay up to a month in Saudi Arabia.