China has granted Saudi travelers visa-free entry for 30 days, in a policy trial that will last for one year, reported the Chinese official news agency Xinhua.
During a press briefing on Wednesday, China’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, Mao Ning, announced that ordinary passport holders from Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain will get visa-free entry to China on a trial basis, starting from June 9, 2025, to June 8, 2026.
The announcement followed the ASEAN-China-GCC Summit, which took place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, under the theme “Synergizing Economic Opportunities toward Shared Prosperity.”
Under the new policy, the citizens of these four Gulf countries will be able to travel to China for business, sightseeing, visiting relatives or friends, exchanges or transit purposes without needing a visa for entry, Mao explained.
“China now grants visa-free status to all GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries. We welcome more friends from the GCC countries to visit China anytime,” Mao said.
Since 2018, the UAE and Qatar have adopted reciprocal visa-free entry policies with China. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has the Approved Destination Status (ADS) with China, an arrangement that took effect on July 1, 2024. This agreement allows Chinese tourists to visit the Kingdom in group tours with simplified visa procedures, cheaper tickets and increased daily flights.
Under Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia targets 5 million Chinese tourists by the end of the decade, aiming to make China its third largest source market for international arrivals by 2030, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
To this end, the Kingdom has boosted connectivity with new direct flights by Air China, China Eastern, and China Southern, alongside the existing Saudia flights. It has also introduced tailored products, and developed strategic partnerships to enhance group and Flexible Independent Travel (FIT) experiences.
