Saudi Arabia Issues Regulations Governing Tourist Visas

Saudi Arabia discloses new regulations for tourist visas in the framework of achieving the objectives of developing the sector within Kingdom Vision 2030 (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Arabia discloses new regulations for tourist visas in the framework of achieving the objectives of developing the sector within Kingdom Vision 2030 (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia Issues Regulations Governing Tourist Visas

Saudi Arabia discloses new regulations for tourist visas in the framework of achieving the objectives of developing the sector within Kingdom Vision 2030 (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Arabia discloses new regulations for tourist visas in the framework of achieving the objectives of developing the sector within Kingdom Vision 2030 (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia’s new plan for regulating tourism visas, which includes 13 items, aligns with the Kingdom’s efforts to develop the tourism sector and the objectives of Kingdom Vision 2030, according to experts.

Single-entry visas are valid for three months and multiple-entry visas last for one year. The single-entry option allows travelers to stay in Saudi Arabia for a maximum of one month, while there is a 90-day length of stay for multiple-entry visas. Applicants cannot specify which option they want — this will be decided on a case by case basis by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Economists believe that the new regulation is flexible and contributes to revitalizing the tourism sector in an adaptable and disciplined manner.

Faisal Al-Fadel, Saudi Shura Council member, said that the tourism sector is one of the offshoots of economic development and one of the most important sectors that generate direct and indirect job opportunities and contributes to promoting comprehensive development.

“New regulations are important in that they contribute to the development of the economy and encourage tourism and investments in the Kingdom,” Al-Fadel told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Al-Fadel added that Saudi Arabia has taken great and rapid steps in developing its tourism sector and has become an important global destination.

He also pointed out that the geographical location of the Kingdom contributes significantly to increasing the number of tourists in the coming years.

Al-Fadel reiterated that new regulations and legislation are of great importance in opening the way for everyone to visit and enjoy Saudi Arabia.

Moreover, Al-Fadel said that regulations directly contribute to advancing the goals of Vision 2030 and promoting tourism in Saudi Arabia.



Iran Lawmakers Move to Sack Country’s Economy Minister as Rial Plunges 

A currency dealer counts Iranian rials as the value of the rial drops, in Tehran, Iran, February 9, 2025. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters
A currency dealer counts Iranian rials as the value of the rial drops, in Tehran, Iran, February 9, 2025. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters
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Iran Lawmakers Move to Sack Country’s Economy Minister as Rial Plunges 

A currency dealer counts Iranian rials as the value of the rial drops, in Tehran, Iran, February 9, 2025. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters
A currency dealer counts Iranian rials as the value of the rial drops, in Tehran, Iran, February 9, 2025. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters

Iran’s parliament on Wednesday received a motion from lawmakers seeking to dismiss Economy Minister Abdolnaser Hemmati amid a sharp decline in the national currency, the rial.

Under Iranian law, Hemmati must appear before the legislature within 10 days to defend his record in a session that could result in his removal.

Ahmad Naderi, a Tehran MP and member of the parliament’s presiding board, said 91 lawmakers had signed the motion.

The move follows closed-door talks between President Masoud Pezeshkian and Hemmati with MPs over the plunging rial, which has lost nearly half its value since Pezeshkian took office in July.

On the black market, the rial is now trading at more than 900,000 to the US dollar, compared with less than 600,000 in mid-2024.

The slide has accelerated since the fall of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, a longtime Iranian ally, on December 8.

Decades of US-led sanctions have battered Iran’s economy, with inflation worsening since Washington pulled out of a landmark 2015 nuclear deal in 2018.

US President Donald Trump, who returned to the White House in January, has revived his policy of “maximum pressure” on Iran, further tightening restrictions on the country.

Pezeshkian has vowed to seek a return to the nuclear accord and the lifting of sanctions, but diplomatic efforts have so far to make any headway.

In April 2023, lawmakers dismissed the industry minister Reza Fatemi Amin over soaring car prices.