Unmarried couples will now stay in hotels in Saudi Arabia

Unmarried foreign couples can now live together in a hotel in Saudi Arabia. The new visa rules have been announced by the Saudi government.

Apart from this, a woman can also stay alone with a room in the hotel. Earlier, couples had to prove that they are married. This is seen as an attempt by the Saudi government to encourage tourism.

Earlier, foreign couples coming to Saudi Arabia had to show documents of marriage. But now foreign couples will not have to prove themselves to be married to stay together when they come to Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi Ministry of Tourism and National Heritage has issued a statement saying, “The citizens of Saudi Arabia will have to show documents of family ID or proof of relationship during hotel checkings, whereas it is not necessary for foreign couples. All women can book a room in the hotel by giving ID. Saudi women can also do this.

The ministry has said, “According to the new visa rules, there is no need to cover themselves completely for women tourists but they are expected to wear ‘decent’ clothes.” However, liquor is still banned. ‘’

Saudi Arabia has been identified as the most restricted place on earth. But in the open market economy, Saudi Arabia no longer wants to keep itself as closed. He wants foreign tourists to come here and increase investment.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin-Salman of Saudi Arabia has made many changes in a very conservative country. Crown Prince Salman also lifted restrictions on Saudi Arabian women driving and also lifted the ban on Saudi women going abroad without a male guardian.

However, many controversial issues dominated these changes. The biggest issue among them was the murder of a journalist named Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi Embassy in Turkey.

Europe and many other countries have welcomed this decision and they believe that this decision of Saudi Arabia will increase the number of foreign tourists there.

Tour operators in Europe, “The relaxation of visa regulations will increase the number of foreign tourists in Saudi rapidly.” This is good news for those who are interested in the Arab world.

Saudi Arabia will open its doors to foreign tourists

Qasr al-Farid Tomb in Madain Saleh is included in UNESCO World Heritage

Saudi Arabia will open its doors to international tourists for the first time as part of a broader plan to reduce its economic dependence on oil.

Saudi Arabia will introduce a visa regime for 49 countries. Also, a strict dress code for women tourists will also be changed.

Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Khatib has described it as a ‘historic moment’ for the country.

As of now, the visa is mostly confined to pilgrims, traders and migrant workers. Saudi Arabia is also expecting foreign investment in the tourism industry.

Saudi Arabia wants to increase the share of tourism in total GDP from 3% to 10% by 2030.

Khatib said, “Tourists will be shocked to see the treasures we have. This includes five UNESCO World Heritage Sites, our special local culture and breathtaking natural beauty.”

Foreign women tourists will no longer have to wear a cloak called ‘Abaya’, worn in public places by Saudi women, to completely cover the body, but will still have to dress in ‘manner’. There will also be no restriction on women coming to Saudi alone.

Khatib said, “We have a culture. We are confident that our friends and our guests will respect this culture, but of course, it will be very clear.”

Non-Muslims will still not be allowed to travel to Mecca and Medina and the ban on alcohol will continue. More information, including the names of the countries involved in this scheme, will be given later. Khatib also said that he does not believe that the recent attacks on the Saudi Arabian oil industry will stop people from coming here.

He said, “Our cities are one of the safest cities in the whole world. Therefore, we do not believe that this will affect our plans. We have immigrants living in Saudi Arabia who are enjoying Saudi Arabia. “

The move to open the doors of tourism is included in the comprehensive economic reform program of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, which aims to reduce the country’s dependence on oil.

As part of the plan, Saudi Arabia wants to increase the number of international and domestic visits to 100 million a year by 2030. The government is also hoping to generate about one million tourism jobs.

Following the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi last year and the recent crackdown on women rights activists, Saudi has also faced criticism of its human rights record and tarnished international image.

In 2017, Saudi Arabia also announced a large-scale tourism development project involving the conversion of 50 islands and remaining areas on the Red Sea into luxury resorts.

Construction began last year on the Kids “Entertainment City” near the capital Riyadh which also includes high-end theme parks, motorsport facilities and a safari area.

“Due to the country’s hot and dry climate, many Saudis like to visit the over-developed Red Sea coast or the cool, mountains of Asir. The scenery here is quite stunning. But it’s still Saudi Arabia, so don’t expect people to drink cocktails in the evening. “

Originally published at https://www.mubahisa.in.