The Intercontinental Riyadh, shown above, is the perfect base from which to explore Saudi Arabia’s many attractions.

Group visas now issued
Tourism in Saudi Arabia is undergoing a comprehensive sectorial makeover aimed at creating 1.5 million new jobs

Saudi Arabians love to travel. While business as well as leisure takes them all over the world, movement within the Kingdom itself shows that national sites and attractions are also prime motivators to travel. So far this year, domestic tourists have spent around SR13 billion (£1.73 billion) according to the Supreme Commission for Tourism (SCT).

The SCT was established in 2000, and since then has handled all aspects of national tourism in Saudi Arabia. Its studies have shown the advantages of pursuing a human resources development strategy within the tourism sector – as a labour-intensive industry, tourism is eminently suited for job creation, a factor of prime importance to the national economy. For this purpose, the SCT has launched the National Project for Tourism Human Resources Development, which provides requirements for operations, education and training in accordance with international standards.

The government aims to create around 1.5 million employment opportunities in the tourism sector over the next two decades, a vital factor in a country with a growing young population. The role of women within the industry is also being given importance.

Developing the tourism sector provides new challenges for the Saudi Arabian government. Traditionally, non-Muslims have not been granted easy access to the Kingdom for tourism purposes, but slowly the country is being opened up. This year, the SCT has started issuing group visas for organised tours visiting the Kingdom.

Conditions, for the time being, are fairly strict: visas can be obtained for a maximum of 60 days, groups must be of at least five people, and women not travelling with close relatives have to be over 30 years of age. So far, tourists entering the Kingdom have done so by sea, allowing information on their identities to be transmitted by the shipping line prior to their arrival.

In May, 121 German nationals visited the Kingdom, landing at Jeddah Islamic Port and taking a six-hour tour of Jeddah’s historic and cultural sites. In a complementary action to boost tourism, the historic old city of Jeddah is currently being prepared for registration as an international heritage site. Plans have been approved to hold two major annual festivals there – Abhur Festival and Okaz Souk Festival – and to refurbish the area with the aid of the private sector.

At present, the tourism industry (including Hajj and Umrah services) contributes six per cent to the Kingdom’s GDP; around SR55 billion (£7.28 billion) each year. The decision to issue tourist visas through licensed operators is a bid to increase these figures. Eighteen licensed tour operators are now authorised to bring foreigners on tourist visas to the country.

The SCT has several projects in hand to help develop the Kingdom’s tourism industry, including plans to establish advanced tourist cities on the coasts of the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf. Among the most popular existing attractions, aside from the old town of Jeddah, are the tombs of Madain Saleh, carved by the same people who built Jordan’s city of Petra; the state-of-the-art National Museum in Riyadh; the stunning traditional architecture of Najran, the unspoilt beaches of the Farasan Islands, and other areas of natural beauty and historical interest such as Taif, Al Baha and Abha.