Saudi Arabia has announced the extension of its electronic visa (e-visa) programme to citizens from 8 additional countries, bringing the total number of eligible countries to 57. The new countries are Albania, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, South Africa, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
Citizens of these countries can now apply for an e-visa online for leisure, business and religious travel (Umrah only). E-visas are valid for 90 days from the date of issue and allow holders to stay in Saudi Arabia for up to 30 days at a time.
The extension of the e-visas programme is another step in Saudi Arabia's efforts to increase tourism. The country has seen rapid growth in tourism in recent years, and the government hopes that the extension of the e-visas programme will help to attract even more visitors.
According to the Saudi Ministry of Tourism, the country welcomed more than 17 million tourists in 2019, an increase of 20 % compared to 2018. The most tourists to Saudi Arabia come from India 🇮🇳, Egypt 🇪🇬, Iran 🇮🇷, Turkey 🇹🇷 and Jordan 🇯🇴.
The Saudi government hopes that the number of tourists to Saudi Arabia will reach 30 million by 2030. To achieve this goal, the government has put in place a number of measures, including expanding the e-visas programme, building new hotels and tourist attractions, and promoting Saudi Arabia as a tourist destination.
The extension of the e-visas programme is a major boost for tourism in Saudi Arabia. It will enable more people to visit the country and discover its rich culture and history.
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