SAUDI ARABIA this year will begin allowing Muslim pilgrims to visit other Islamic and historical sites through its new ‘Umrah-Plus’ visa, in a bid to strengthen its tourism industry.
The new, month-long visa allows those on religious pilgrimages to participate in supervised tours of cultural sites besides Makkah and Medinah.
The Gulf state, which does not issue tourism visas, is also in the middle of restoring and building 30 museums and Islam-themed attractions in Makkah and Medinah, according to Prince Sultan bin Salman Al Saud, chairman, Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities.
Heritage hotels are also under construction. The state was pursuing growth in tourism in the hopes of making it a major pillar of the economy, and aspired to become a travel hub like Dubai, said Al Saud.
Tourism revenue for 2012 rose 10 per cent to 61.8 billion riyals (US$61.5 billion), though arrivals were largely comprised of religious pilgrims and visitors from Gulf Cooperation Council nations.
Feroz Sheikh, managing director, Alkhuddam Travels, said: “There is great interest worldwide in Islamic history and the opening up of visas to other countries will create large influx of tourists and scholars to Saudi Arabia. Riyadh and Jeddah could become hubs for transit between the East and West in the near future.”
