In order to broaden its tourism market and to ease the entry regulations for foreign tourists, Saudi Arabia has launched a Stopover Visa that allows visitors to spend 96 hours in the country.

Enthused by a strong growth in tourist arrivals in 2022, the Saudi Arabian government has launched a new visa category to make it easier for foreign visitors to enter the country.

According to a press statement, Saudi Arabia has lauched a free-of-charge Stopover Visa, which is open to a wider number of countries than the tourism eVisa and is Saudi Arabia’s latest move to make the destination more accessible.

The statement adds that in the first quarter of the current year itself, airline capacity into Saudi Arabia is expected to grow by over 65 pc compared to the same period in 2022 when four of the Top Ten busiest international routes were to or from Saudi.

The statement adds that the Stopover Visa will allow passengers to stay in the country for up to 96 hours, enabling more visitors than ever to explore Saudi’s incomparable historical, cultural, and spiritual sites.

According to the statement, travellers will also be able to use the Stopover Visa to perform the spiritual Umrah ritual. Spiritual travelers can book flights through national carrier Saudia and the low-cost airline flynas, but must also register for Umrah through the Nusuk platform.

The statement says that to make the offer more exciting for visitors, Stopover Visa holders will be eligible for a complimentary one-night hotel stay during the stopover when booking through Saudia.

To help visitors make the most of their stopover, custom 24, 48, 72 and 96-hour itineraries have been developed to inspire visitors to stroll through Jeddah’s Al-Balad, or visit the Al-Turaif district in Diriyah, one of Saudi’s six UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Visitors can also use the Stopover Visa to break up long-haul flights or book a bonus trip to experience Saudi’s burgeoning entertainment and seasonal events calendar or even extend a business trip on the way to their final destination.

The Stopover Visa application will be automatically available through the airline booking platforms for all passengers travelling to their final destination on Saudia or flynas airlines. A stopover can be made through any airport in Saudi. For many, the application process can be completed in under three minutes and can be applied for up to 90 days before travel.

The statement says that the Stopover Visa provides yet another flexible option for visitors to experience the authentic home of Arabia and will contribute to Saudi’s vision of reaching 100 million visits annually by 2030.

‘‘The new Stopover Visa is yet another proof point in Saudi’s commitment to developing and encouraging growth in the tourism sector. It is open for travellers passing through Saudi on our national carriers whether for leisure, business or Umrah. We will continue to work together across government and the tourism ecosystem as Saudi transforms into a leading global tourism destination,” says Ahmed Al Khateeb, Minister of Tourism of Saudi Arabia, and Chairman of the Board of Saudi Tourism Authority.

‘‘Today’s announcement of Saudi’s inaugural Stopover Visa is a landmark example of integrated public and private sector cooperation. Four of the Top Ten global routes were in or out of Saudi airports in 2022, a testament to the appeal of destination Saudi Arabia, which is committed to a seamless visitor experience. In partnership with our national air carriers, Saudia and flynas, we are using digital platforms to provide an instant Stopover Visa, which only enhances Saudi’s accessibility and our world-class destination offering,” says Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO and Member of the Board at Saudi Tourism Authority.

“The launch of this innovative and seamless Stopover Visa is the first of its kind in the aviation industry and a significant milestone in our digital transformation program. It is a testament to Saudia’s commitment to support the Kingdom’s strategic goal of reaching 100 million visits by 2030 and we are confident it will positively impact the growing number of transit passengers while enhancing our position as a hub that connects East and West. The new service will also encourage passengers to perform Umrah, visit key destinations and attend events and Saudi seasons,” says ‏Captain Ibrahim Koshy, CEO of Saudia.

“Saudi Vision 2030 has laid solid foundations for cooperation between the regulatory and executive sectors on the one hand, and the private sector on the other, with the ambition to support the Kingdom’s goals across all sectors. Today, flynas is proud to be a part of this ecosystem that has enabled Saudi’s national carriers to facilitate the issuance of the new Stopover Visa. This is a welcome development that eases and speeds up the process for our passengers who wish to stop in Saudi for up to 96 hours on the way to their final destination,” says Bandar Almohanna, CEO and Managing Director of flynas.