Visitors from four countries are invited to experience the allure of Saudi Arabia through the Kingdom’s tourist visa.
This new visa expansion accelerates the tourism objectives of Vision 2030, offering global visitors a hassle-free entry process while laying the foundation to achieve 150 million annual arrivals.
Four Countries Added to Visa Program
Driving the News: On November 5, 2026, the Saudi Foreign Ministry announced the expansion of the Kingdom’s tourist visa to include Mexico, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia.
The Big Picture: The tourist visa allows the citizens of these four countries to visit Saudi Arabia for multiple purposes, including attending events, performing Umrah, participating in conferences and exhibitions, and visiting family and friends.
Why It Matters: The addition of these four countries reflects a growing interest in Saudi Arabia’s heritage and business from the Balkans to Latin America, opening new horizons for expanding commercial and cultural ties between these regions and the GCC countries.
What the Visa Offers
The tourist visa offers several benefits for travelers, including:
- Instant online application via the Visit Saudi portal or on-arrival issuance at airports.
- Standard 1-year, multiple-entry visa allowing up to a 90-day stay per year.
- Freedom to travel independently without pre-arranging rigid package itineraries.
Between the Lines: With this tourist visa, international travelers can enrich their experience by performing Umrah in Makkah and Madinah, while exploring leisure, heritage, and luxury attractions in Riyadh, AlUla, and the Red Sea in a single trip.
Standard Visa vs. Package Visa
The Context: In July 2026, the Saudi Tourism Ministry introduced a new package visa that allows visitors from Jordan, Egypt, India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Mexico, and Pakistan to get a tourist visa as part of an approved travel package booked through qualified travel and tourism agencies.
Key Differences:
- Package Visa: Targets select pilot markets, requiring travelers to book a bundled itinerary, including round-trip flights and a minimum 4-star licensed hotel stay, through an approved Saudi Ministry of Tourism travel operator prior to visa approval.
- Standard Tourist Visa: Grants fully unbundled, digital access, enabling eligible travelers to book flights, accommodations, and itineraries independently.
Driving Vision 2030
State of Play: By opening the Kingdom to more international visitors, Saudi Arabia advances the objectives of Vision 2030 by diversifying its national economy, enhancing global connectivity, and fostering cultural exchange.
- Economic Diversification: By welcoming high-spending leisure travelers, the Kingdom expands non-oil revenues as the tourism sector accelerates toward its Vision 2030 goal of contributing 10% to GDP.
- Global Connectivity: The expansion of global flight corridors via national carriers such as Saudia and Riyadh Air establishes the Kingdom as a central nexus connecting East and West.
- Cultural Exchange: Expanded access transforms historical, cultural, and eco-tourism sites, including AlUla, Diriyah, and the Red Sea, into mainstream global attractions for culture and heritage enthusiasts.
Promising Tourism Figures
The Goal: Under Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia targets 150 million visitors by 2030, in line with its plan to cement its status as a global tourism hub.
Zoom In: Inaugurating the Kingdom’s pavilion at World Travel Market London 2026, Saudi Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb unveiled an impressive boom in Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector in the first half of 2026, despite regional tensions that have disrupted global travel across the Middle East.
By the Numbers:
- 61.2 million: Number of inbound tourists in H1 2026.
- 1%: Surge in tourist numbers year-on-year.
- SAR 151.9 billion ($40.5 billion): Tourism spending in H1 2026.
- 623,000: Licensed room keys across accommodation facilities.
- 44,000: Room keys in newly licensed facilities.
Looking Ahead: By expanding the tourist visa program to include more countries, Saudi Arabia is establishing its status as a premier global hub bridging cultures, fueling local enterprise, and steadily advancing toward its 150-million-visitor milestone.
