RIYADH: A review of tourist visa regulations has been completed by the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH), together with the interior and foreign ministries.
The SCTH said in a statement that it reviewed the regulations with relevant government institutions, investors and workers in tourism and transport, and groups of service providers through a series of intensive meetings and workshops.
The new visa regulations had been submitted to the relevant government authorities for approval, it said.
Visa requirements had been arranged with government and private agencies, and an integrated electronic system developed under the supervision of a team headed by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.
The SCTH acted on the basis of a national tourism development strategy, approved in 2005, to develop and expand tourist visas that previously had been granted on a limited scale.
The National Transformation Program 2020 also adopted the tourist visa as one of the “initiatives of high economic feasibility.”
Prince Sultan bin Salman, president and chairman of the board of the SCTH, told AFP earlier this year that the Kingdom had affirmed its commitment to local values and culture — the most important attractions as it strives to attract tourists.
“The Kingdom is the cradle of Islam and the direction toward which all Muslims face in their prayers, and it has the honor to serve them, leaning on a legacy of civilizational, natural, cultural and tourist wealth and generous and welcoming people,” he said.
Saudi tourist visas expanded under agency’s review
Saudi tourist visas expanded under agency’s review
Saudi initiative to host ‘dialogue’ between southern Yemeni factions widely welcomed
- Conference in Saudi capital requested by Rashad Al-Alimi, president of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council
- Kingdom urged all factions to participate “to develop a comprehensive vision” that would fulfill the aspirations of the southern people
RIYADH: The Saudi Foreign Ministry’s move to invite factions in South Yemen to hold a dialogue in Riyadh has been widely welcomed.
A statement by the ministry said the conference in the Saudi capital had been requested by Rashad Al-Alimi, president of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, and the Kingdom urged all factions to participate “to develop a comprehensive vision” that would fulfill the aspirations of the southern people.
Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit welcomed Al-Alimi’s call to convene a comprehensive conference to discuss just solutions to the southern issue.
He also expressed his appreciation for Saudi Arabia’s swift response to the request and its readiness to host and sponsor the conference with the participation of southern factions.
The situation in southern Yemen, Aboul Gheit said, has “well-known historical dimensions and includes legitimate issues that must be addressed at the negotiating table within a comprehensive Yemeni framework.”
He stressed that attempts to impose a fait accompli did not serve the southern cause but instead caused serious harm by exposing the country to further fragmentation and disintegration.
He reiterated the Arab League’s consistent position, as reflected in its repeated resolutions on the Yemeni crisis, which is based on full commitment to Yemen’s unity and the preservation of its territorial integrity.
Commending the Saudi announcement, Sheikh Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, the Muslim World League’s secretary-general, said that the step “reflected the Kingdom’s steadfast and sincere approach to supporting the Yemeni people in all their diversity.”
It also highlights the Kingdom’s continued efforts to preserve peace and stability in Yemen by addressing the southern issue through inclusive dialogue among all parties, Al-Issa added.
Meanwhile, Qatar has expressed its appreciation for Saudi Arabia’s hosting of the inclusive conference to explore fair solutions to the southern issue.
In a statement, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry welcomed the efforts exerted by the legitimate Yemeni government to support the Yemeni dialogue track and address the southern issue.
The ministry underlined the importance of the constructive participation of all southern stakeholders, prioritizing the interests of the Yemeni people at the anticipated conference in Riyadh.
It emphasized adherence to the outcomes of the national dialogue as the consensual framework and comprehensive mechanism for reaching an inclusive political solution that meets the aspirations of the Yemeni people in all their segments and preserves Yemen’s unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.
The ministry warned that unilateral declarations and measures taken without consultation and consensus among Yemeni parties, and without engaging in serious and responsible dialogue, could lead to a descent into chaos, harming the interests of the Yemeni people and undermining prospects for reaching a sustainable political settlement.
The ministry reaffirmed Qatar’s full support for all regional and international efforts aimed at advancing the political process, contributing to ending the Yemeni crisis through dialogue and peaceful means.
