Saudi and Oman agree to launch a unified tourist visa
A group of tourists visit a heritage area in Oman.
Saudi Arabia and Oman have agreed to launch a unified tourist visas for its citizens and residents.
The Saudi Minister of Tourism, Ahmed Al-Khatib, discussed with the Omani Minister of Tourism and Heritage, Salem Bin Muhammad Al-Mahrooqi, the opening several sectors, most notably the tourism, during his visit to the Sultanate of Oman.
A number of joint tourism initiatives and programs were launched, which aim to attract international tourists, citizens and residents of the GCC countries, the most important of which is the launch of a unified tourist visa between the two countries.
This includes a number of seasonal trips between the two countries, and the launch of a joint tourism calendar.
One of the initiatives also focused on activating trade and investment cooperation, especially tourism sector projects, supporting entrepreneurs interested in the field of tourism in the two countries, and training and developing tourist guides under the umbrella of the Gulf Strategy for Tourism 2023-2030, which was approved by the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council last December.
It is noteworthy that the number of tourists coming from the Sultanate of Oman to the Kingdom amounted to approximately 164,000 tourists during the first quarter of 2023, with a growth rate of 136% over the same period of the year 2022.
While the spending of tourists coming from Oman to the Kingdom amounted to about 310 million riyals in the first quarter, achieving a growth rate of 71%, while the number of tourists departing from the Kingdom to Oman reached approximately 49,000 tourists during the first quarter of this year, with a growth rate of 92% from the same period last year.
The period from the year 2022, and the growth rate of spending for tourists departing from the Kingdom to Oman increased by 117%, compared to the same period in the year 2022, during which they spent about 213 million riyals.
