Saudi Arabia has announced the launch of a range of products, packages and experiences for pilgrims from Turkey wishing to visit Makkah and Madinah. At a trade roadshow hosted in Istanbul this week, the Saudi Tourism Authority announced that Turkish citizens can now obtain an entry visa into Saudi Arabia quickly and easily. Turkish nationals wishing to visit Saudi Arabia will now have the option to obtain a tourist visa through the Saudi Embassy or Consulate in Turkey, the visa issued within 48 hours through accredited travel and tourism offices in Turkey listed on the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs website. Residents of the United States, the United Kingdom, and European Union countries, or holders of active US, UK and Schengen visas can obtain the visa upon arrival at the airports in Jeddah, Madinah, Riyadh and Dammam. The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah also launched Nusuk (nusuk.sa/tr), an integrated digital government platform designed to enhance and enrich the Umrah experience for Muslims visiting Makkah and Madinah, in Turkish language. The platform will enable simpler arrival procedures for visitors to perform Umrah, in addition to a range of services that will include facilitating visas, permits, booking processes and procedures along with special packages for Makkah, Madinah and a host of other historical and religious sites in Saudi Arabia. Additionally, Saudi citizens can now issue a personal visit visa for their friends, as can citizens and residents wishing to host their relatives. This can be done through the unified national visa platform visa.mofa.gov.sa. Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO and Member of the Board at Saudi Tourism Authority and Managing Director of Nusuk, said: "Saudi Arabia continues its efforts to welcome more Muslims from Turkey and around the world than ever before. Through Nusuk and working with our travel and trade partners in Turkey, we are eliminating barriers, expanding travel options and choices, and driving down costs to make it easier for Muslims to embark on their spiritual journey with comfort and confidence." The CEO added: "Saudi Arabia is transforming at a speed and scale which has never been witnessed before and the Saudi Tourism Authority is committed to promoting the beauty, diversity and wonder of the country's unique tourism proposition. We are proud to be in Turkey, bringing the breadth and depth of the Saudi tourism offering with the presence of more than 50 partners, to build bridges, to learn, to exchange information and gain a deeper understanding of what our partners want and need." — SG
