Abid Khazandar Al-Riyadh In a previous column, I wrote about the complaints of some British citizens that they are not in a position to enter Saudi Arabia except with an employment visa. I raised a question in the article on what the hurdle was for them in getting a tourist visa, while taking into account the fact that it is not possible for Europeans in general and the British in particular to overstay their visas after arriving in the Kingdom. This is counterproductive for us as it has now become very difficult and long for Saudis to get a visa to Britain. However, I read a report in Okaz on Nov. 26 in which Prince Sultan Bin Salman, president of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA), announced the Kingdom's decision to launch an "Extended Umrah Program" from the beginning of the new Umrah season on Dec. 4 (Safar 1). He said the new Umrah plus tourism program, which is a joint package of the ministries of Haj, foreign and interior, will open doors in front of Umrah pilgrims from 65 countries to spend some more time in the Kingdom and visit historical places and tourist attractions. Their Umrah visa will be converted into a tourist visa after its expiry. The domestic tourism program will be restricted to companies approved by the SCTA while the licensed Umrah tour operators need an additional license for this, Prince Sultan added. This is a significant step in the right direction. But the thing that I cannot understand (perhaps the SCTA would explain) was that how non-Muslims, especially Europeans, can take advantage of this type of tourist visa? Saudi Arabia's tourism growth depends on this section of tourists. In this respect, the ball is now in the private sector's court, which is to pump investments into the tourism sector, covering hotels, restaurants, markets and rest houses. The tourist does not want to see rocks and natural scenes only. On the other hand, they want to see places where they can take shelter, relax and enjoy, and markets where they can frequently visit. The opening of a hotel at King Abdullah Economic City in Rabigh is a step forward in this direction. After all, we must not forget the fact that tourism would grow only if there is fully-fledged infrastructure. This is the responsibility of the state.
