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Saudi Arabia Expands Visitor e-Visa to Eight Additional Countries 

Saudi Arabia will grant visitor e-visa to travellers from eight newly-eligible countries. (SPA)
Saudi Arabia will grant visitor e-visa to travellers from eight newly-eligible countries. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Expands Visitor e-Visa to Eight Additional Countries 

Saudi Arabia will grant visitor e-visa to travellers from eight newly-eligible countries. (SPA)
Saudi Arabia will grant visitor e-visa to travellers from eight newly-eligible countries. (SPA)

In a bid to make it easier than ever before to experience the authentic home of Arabia, Saudi Arabia will grant visitor e-visa to travellers from eight newly-eligible countries: Albania, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, South Africa, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, for leisure, business, and religious (Umrah only) travel.

Nationals of these countries can apply for a Saudi visitor visa ahead of their journey via the official e-visa portal.

The Kingdom is reimagining the tourism experience, with the famously warm and generous Saudi welcome, known as Hafawah, at the heart of its plans. The visitor e-visa is valid for an entire year, grants multiple entries, and permits a stay of up to 90 days. Visit Saudi offers an online trip planner for visitors to create custom itineraries with ease.

From visiting the Kingdom’s six UNESCO World Heritage Sites, snorkelling and diving in the Red Sea – one of the world's most spectacular undiscovered diving spots, wandering Taif's world-famous Rose Gardens, shopping like a local in Riyadh's Deira Souq, chartering the unknown on land in the lush, green Asir region and tasting Saudi Arabia’s diverse and delicious culinary scene, from fragrant Arabic dishes to internationally-renowned fine dining restaurants, there is something for everyone.

Since launching the e-visa program in 2019, Saudi Arabia has welcomed 93.5 million visits in 2022, a 93% increase compared to 2021, resulting in a tourism spend of SAR 185 billion (USD 49 billion). This rapid tourism growth is due to expanding visa initiatives, which now include 57 nations and two special administrative regions, compared to the initial 49 countries at the program's launch.

In 2022, Saudi Arabia extended regulations to provide a visitor e-visa to holders of valid Schengen, United Kingdom and United States of America visas that have been used to enter those countries before arriving in Saudi Arabia and to permanent residents of EU and Gulf Cooperation Council countries, and the UK and US.

Earlier this year, Saudi Arabia announced the launch of the free 96-hour Stopover Visa, allowing passengers to stay in the country for up to 96 hours. Stopover Visa holders will be eligible for a complimentary one-night hotel stay during the stopover when booking through SAUDIA.

Travellers can use the Stopover Visa to explore the Kingdom and perform Umrah. Religious travellers can book flights through SAUDIA and Flynas and register for Umrah through the Nusuk platform.

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Saudi Shura Council Vice Speaker Takes Part in G20 Parliamentary Speakers' Summit in Brazil

Dr. Al-Salami also discussed the Kingdom's approach to addressing poverty and hunger at the national and international levels - SPA
Dr. Al-Salami also discussed the Kingdom's approach to addressing poverty and hunger at the national and international levels - SPA
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Saudi Shura Council Vice Speaker Takes Part in G20 Parliamentary Speakers' Summit in Brazil

Dr. Al-Salami also discussed the Kingdom's approach to addressing poverty and hunger at the national and international levels - SPA
Dr. Al-Salami also discussed the Kingdom's approach to addressing poverty and hunger at the national and international levels - SPA

A Saudi Shura Council delegation, led by Vice Speaker of the Shura Council Dr. Mishaal bin Fahm Al-Salami, has participated in the 10th G20 Parliamentary Speakers' Summit (P20) inaugurated in Brasilia by the National Congress of Brazil in collaboration with the Inter-Parliamentary Union under the theme "Parliaments for a Just World and a Sustainable Planet."
During the opening session attended by the speakers of the G20 parliaments and other invited countries, the vice speaker of the Shura Council expressed his sincere gratitude to the Brazilian parliament for its hospitality and warm reception.

He also expressed his high appreciation for Brazil's launch of the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty during the previous G20 summit, SPA reported.
He emphasized that the Kingdom became a member of the global alliance to combat hunger and poverty in May 2024 and will be hosting the UN Conference on Land and Drought in Riyadh in December.
Dr. Al-Salami also discussed the Kingdom's approach to addressing poverty and hunger at the national and international levels. He noted that the government has issued a series of resolutions on poverty and hunger, while the Shura Council has enacted legislation to combat poverty, hunger, and inequality. The legislation creates social safety through government support programs, social insurance programs, labor market support, the establishment of a Social Development Bank, and the contribution of charities.
He asserted that the Kingdom has been committed to sponsoring and promoting charitable and humanitarian work. He cited the approximately $133 billion in development assistance provided from 1975 to 2024, which was distributed to 171 countries worldwide and implemented over 7,090 humanitarian, relief, and development projects. He added that the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) is currently engaged in over 1,700 projects to address hunger and poverty worldwide.
In terms of the Kingdom's endeavors to address inequality, he said that Saudi Arabia has ratified the Equal Remuneration Convention (No. 100) and the Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention (No. 111). He confirmed that the percentage of women's participation in the labor market increased to 37% in 2023, surpassing the percentage anticipated in Vision 2030, noting that the Kingdom's laws prohibit all forms of discrimination in jobs and wages between men and women at work.
The vice speaker of the Shura Council also stated that Saudi Arabia has provided essential relief to the Palestinian people in Gaza in the amount of $187 million, as well as a total of $1.6 billion in development and general humanitarian assistance.
Dr. Al-Salami affirmed that the Kingdom has also made significant political efforts. He said that the Kingdom called for an Arab Islamic Extraordinary Summit in Riyadh on November 11, 2023, and launched the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution in partnership with the Arab and Islamic countries, the European Union, and Norway. He added that the Kingdom hosted the alliance's first meeting in Riyadh on October 30, 2024, and announced the holding of the Joint Arab Islamic Extraordinary Summit in Riyadh on November 11. He indicated that all these efforts are aimed at an immediate ceasefire, ending the Israeli occupation, providing relief to the Palestinian people, and establishing an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions.
The P20 summit addressed a variety of critical issues on its agenda, including the contribution of parliaments in fighting hunger, poverty, and inequality, as well as the role of parliaments in addressing the environmental crisis, sustainability, and building global governance adapted to the challenges of the 21st century.