Saudi Arabia canceled visas for Russian citizens

Saudi Arabia, which was recently closed to tourists, canceled visas for Russians from May 11. The entry into force of the mutual agreement on the abolition of visas was previously announced by the Foreign Ministry. Now Russians with any type of passport have the right to travel freely to the kingdom for tourist purposes for up to 90 days.

In 2019, Riyadh, which had previously allowed entry mainly for Muslim pilgrims, simplified the process of obtaining tourist visas for citizens of different countries, including Russians, amid growing interest in tourism. Then it became possible to issue a multiple-entry electronic tourist visa for trips to Saudi Arabia.

As the deputy head of the CIPBC company operating in the kingdom, Mohammed al-Jasem, told RIA Novosti, the abolition of visas will attract more Russian tourists, especially to the elite resorts of the Red Sea. He noted that this direction can become an alternative to Egypt and the UAE.

The expert also expressed the opinion that the cancellation of visas will lead to an increase in the number of visits of Saudi citizens to Russia, because their interest in our country has grown markedly in recent years.

However, according to Saudi travel companies, the kingdom is not among the available routes. The cost of a week-long tour to the country starts from 2 thousand dollars, and for a night in a five-star hotel in the Red Sea resorts you will have to pay at least 400 dollars. Trips to the capital Riyadh or the business capital Jeddah are more economical, but these cities are not yet as developed as major tourist centers and are noticeably inferior in tourist attractiveness to the leading regional destinations — the cities of the UAE, Oman, Qatar and Bahrain.

Earlier, the Ministry of Tourism of Saudi Arabia announced its intention, according to the country's economic development plan, to receive up to 150 million tourists and pilgrims annually by 2030.