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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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Gulf

Etidal, Telegram Remove 30 Million Extremist Posts in Q2 2025

Etidal signals Saudi Arabia’s resolve to combat terrorism on all fronts (Etidal)
Etidal signals Saudi Arabia’s resolve to combat terrorism on all fronts (Etidal)
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Etidal, Telegram Remove 30 Million Extremist Posts in Q2 2025

Etidal signals Saudi Arabia’s resolve to combat terrorism on all fronts (Etidal)
Etidal signals Saudi Arabia’s resolve to combat terrorism on all fronts (Etidal)

Saudi Arabia’s Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology, known as Etidal, said on Monday that its joint efforts with Telegram led to the removal of more than 30.8 million pieces of extremist content and the shutdown of over 1,200 extremist channels during the second quarter of 2025.

The operation, carried out in April, May and June, is part of ongoing cooperation between the Riyadh-based center and the messaging platform to curb what both describe as “digital extremism.”

According to information seen by Asharq Al-Awsat, total removals since the partnership began in February 2022 have surpassed 207.6 million extremist items, with 17,455 channels and groups shut down.

Both parties say the collaboration reflects a continued commitment to creating a safer online environment and tackling radical propaganda.

The bulk of the removals came in June 2025, when around 18 million extremist items were taken down and 643 channels closed. In April, about 1.2 million posts were removed and 110 channels shut, while May saw 11.6 million removals and 501 closures.

These posts reportedly included messages promoting violence, hatred, and radical ideologies.

Telegram, which has long faced scrutiny over its use by extremist groups, said in a July update on its website that it has had a “zero tolerance policy for calls to violence and terrorist propaganda since 2016.” The platform publishes daily transparency reports and said its efforts to tackle extremist ideologies had been significantly bolstered through its partnership with Etidal.

It added that more than 100 million terrorism-related posts had been removed in cooperation with Etidal alone, with a peak in February 2025, when 3,851 groups were blocked in a single day.

Telegram also revealed that more than 134,000 terrorism-linked groups have been banned so far this year.

In the first quarter of 2025, the Etidal-Telegram partnership removed 16 million extremist posts and shut down 1,408 channels linked to extremist groups.

Etidal and Telegram expanded their joint operations on February 21, 2022, focusing on preventing extremist propaganda from reaching digital audiences.

The center said it remains committed to working with regional and international partners to develop advanced tools to counter evolving tactics used by radical groups.

Despite ongoing removals, Etidal warned that terrorist organizations continue to use redirect links and evasion tactics to bypass digital monitoring. In the first quarter alone, more than 1.2 million such links were identified and taken down.

Dr. Yousef Al-Rumeih, a security adviser and professor of counterterrorism at Qassim University, told Asharq Al-Awsat that recent months had seen renewed online activity by extremist groups. He called for greater digital and cybersecurity awareness, especially among youth, to counter their influence.

He stressed the importance of three layers of protection—official cybersecurity surveillance, community and family-level monitoring, and individual vigilance—to confront extremist messaging. “Reporting suspicious links to authorities is key to limiting their reach,” he said.

Founded in May 2017 by Saudi King Salman in the presence of US President Donald Trump and leaders from 55 nations, Etidal has spent eight years spearheading efforts to counter radical ideologies.

The center says it has prevented millions of extremist posts and links from reaching the public and shared its expertise with over 78 countries through international cooperation and technical visits to its Riyadh headquarters.