Saudi Arabia allows Umrah visas to be converted into Tourist Visas

[as1mz]

Good news.

http://todayinpakistan.com/umrah-visas-to-tourist-visas/

 

[Bilad al-Haramayn]

Phenomenal news. KSA's rich ancient history, Islamic history, architecture, nature, wildlife, varied landscapes, cuisine, hospitality, ancient traditions and customs should be globally exposed. KSA could alone potentially attract millions upon millions of beach goers, marine life and diving enthusiasts as the marine fauna of KSA and beaches are some of the best in the world. A guarantee of warm and sunny weather all year round as well. Close to European, African and Asian markets.

Time to expose this below and much else:

https://defence.pk/threads/saudi-arabia-in-pictures.222471/page-84

https://defence.pk/threads/the-arabian-peninsula-and-arab-world-in-photos.280918/page-45

https://defence.pk/threads/exploring-saudi-arabias-marine-wonderland.251910/page-13

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KSA is already the 15th most visited country on the planet and with the potential of continuous increasing Hajj and Umrah numbers, combining that with a REAL and vibrating tourism sector, would be perfect. It would give visitors and the average Haji an opportunity to discover and travel within KSA instead of mostly sitting in hotels or staying in and around Makkah and Madinah.

For that certain laws should be abolished, tourism infrastructure should be built, infrastructure overall should be improved further and locals should realize that tourism is a source of income, jobs etc. One of the most important jobs for any regime in KSA is to create jobs for locals and especially the youth who form 2/3 of the total population.

The claim of welcoming tourism "within the cultural and religious norms of KSA", I see as a confirmation of a initial focus on Muslim tourists especially in connection to Hajj and Umrah as stated earlier.

All this would first and foremost create more jobs and thus more income, diversify the economy and give the country a much better PR. Tourism is by no means something that you can live off (not even close) but it is nevertheless an somewhat important part of the "2030 vision".

I am still skeptical of how this will work in practice, as the Saudi Arabian commission for Tourism & National Heritage has disappointed me time and time again. However I will give them the benefit of the doubt this time around for the time being.

KSA needs to open up and a lively tourism sector is an important tool in such a project. We must welcome all tourists with open arms.

Good news.

http://todayinpakistan.com/umrah-visas-to-tourist-visas/

 

[Halimi]

I think a focus on Muslim tourists is a good start. It would enable the country to leverage off the Umrah and Hajj infrastructure already in place and, perhaps more importantly, wouldn't put any pressure on the country's cultural and social principles and norms.

The Muslim World is getting larger and wealthier, and providing a conservative and Shari'ah-compliant destination would be much welcomed and a good idea considering how explicit Islamophobia is becoming across traditional tourist destinations in the US and Western Europe.

Good move.