Saudi Arabia to introduce first ever tourist visas as tensions with Iran risk war

Visas have previously only covered people travelling to the country for work or for religious reasons.

Prince Sultan Bin Salman said: “The targets are people who want to literally experience this country and the grandness of this country.”

Saudi Arabia aims to have 30 million visitors per year by 2030 compared to the 18 million recorded in 2016.

The country also hopes that by 2020 tourist spending will hit $47 billion (£36billion), CNN reported.

However, Saudi Arabia’s push to increase tourism comes despite as it faces massive security issue.

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Earlier this week, the US State Department issued a travel warning, saying Americans should “carefully consider the risks of travel to Saudi Arabia”.

The US State Department added: “Terrorist threats persist throughout Saudi Arabia, including in major cities such as Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dhahran, and attacks can occur without warning anywhere in the country.”

Prince Sultan Bin Salman said: “The targets are people who want to literally experience this country and the grandness of this country.”

Concerns over security are present amid relations between the Sunni-majority Saudi Arabia and the Shia-dominated Iran deteriorating recently due to the ongoing civil war in Yemen and the political crisis in Lebanon.

Tensions increased a few weeks ago between the two countries when Saudi Arabia accused Iran of being behind a ballistic missile attack on a Riyadh airport.

The missiles were intercepted and Saudi Arabia said they perceived the attack as a possible “declaration of war”.

Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir said: “The kingdom will not stand by and will not hesitate to defend its security. We must stand together.”

Saudi Arabia and Iran have rival interests and alliances across the Middle East.

Regional conflicts in these countries often see Saudi Arabia and Iran supporting different sides split on religious lines.

Lebanon has been thrown into the centre of the crisis as the country is home to the Iranian-backed terrorist militia Hezbollah.

Hezbollah said last week Friday that Saudi Arabia had declared war on Lebanon after the nation was accused of holding its Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri against his will.

An armed conflict between the two Middle East superpowers could have a major impact on the global economy and could send oil prices skyrocketing by 500 per cent.


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