Saudi Arabia launches ‘Visa by Profile’ initiative

Saudi Arabia ranked first among G20 nations in international tourist arrivals in 2024 and led globally in tourism revenue growth from inbound visitors. Shutterstock
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Updated 13 November 2025
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Saudi Arabia launches ‘Visa by Profile’ initiative

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia has launched a pioneering initiative, “Visa by Profile,” allowing eligible Visa cardholders to instantly obtain an electronic tourist visa within minutes, the minister of tourism announced.

In a post on his X account, Ahmed Al-Khateeb said: “Launched at TOURISE25, we proudly introduce ‘Visa by Profile’ – the world’s first initiative allowing eligible Visa cardholders to instantly secure their electronic tourist visa in minutes, just by using their card and passport details.”

Developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior, the global financial services company Visa, the Saudi Tourism Authority, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the initiative underscores the Kingdom’s commitment to seamless, technology-driven travel experiences.

The minister added: “This is how we build the future of tourism: simple, seamless, and globally connected.”

Saudi Arabia ranked first among G20 nations in international tourist arrivals in 2024 and led globally in tourism revenue growth from inbound visitors.

Having surpassed its initial goal of 100 million visitors six years ahead of schedule in 2023, the Kingdom has set a new target of welcoming 150 million tourists annually by 2030 — including 70 million international and 80 million domestic travelers.

On the final day of the three-day summit at Riyadh’s King Abdulaziz International Conference Center, Al-Khateeb also announced three additional initiatives: Agentic Tourism, TOURISE Destination, and Beyond Tourism.

In another post, he said: “At TOURISE25, we took concrete steps to elevate the Kingdom’s tourism and hospitality sector by announcing strategic partnerships with leading global institutions, including top schools in hospitality around the world.”

He emphasized the ministry’s focus on advancing training and skills development, fostering a new generation of professionals equipped to lead the tourism sector’s growth, noting: “Our people are the core of the future of tourism.”

Organized by the Ministry of Tourism under the patronage of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the TOURISE 2025 Summit ran from Nov. 11 to 13 and aimed to shape the future of global tourism by driving innovation, sustainability, and collaboration.

The next edition of TOURISE is scheduled to take place in March 2027.


Saudi Maaden reports 156% profit surge to $2bn on strong commodity prices, record production

Updated 05 March 2026
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Saudi Maaden reports 156% profit surge to $2bn on strong commodity prices, record production

RIYADH: Saudi mining and metals company Maaden has reported a 156 percent jump in its net profit attributable to shareholders for 2025, driven by higher commodity prices, record production volumes, and a one-off bargain purchase gain.

The state-backed giant posted a net profit of SR7.35 billion ($1.95 billion) for the full year 2025, an increase from SR2.87 billion in the previous year. The firm’s revenue surged by 19 percent to SR38.58 billion, up from SR32.55 billion in 2024.

This comes as Saudi Arabia steps up efforts to expand its mining sector as a pillar of economic diversification, encouraging international participation and private investment to unlock the Kingdom’s estimated $2.5 trillion in untapped mineral resources under Vision 2030.    

In a statement on Tadawul, the company said: “Performance was led by record phosphate production, near record aluminum production, an increase in all three of Maaden’s main output commodity prices.”

The performance was also fueled by a 60 percent increase in gross profit, which reached SR14.79 billion. In its annual results announcement, Maaden attributed the top-line growth to “higher commodity market prices for phosphate, aluminum and gold business units,” as well as increased sales volumes in its phosphate and aluminum segments. This was partially offset by slightly lower sales volume in the gold unit.

Maaden’s CEO, Bob Wilt, hailed 2025 as a transformative year for the company, marked by strategic growth and operational excellence. “This was a great year for Maaden’s strategic growth. We delivered strong financial results and sustained operational excellence across the business,” he said in a statement.

“This was driven by growth in production across all businesses, including record-breaking DAP (di-ammonium phosphatevolumes), disciplined cost control across and a clear commitment to our role as a cornerstone of the Saudi economy,” Wilt added.

Profitability was further bolstered by an increased share of net profit from joint ventures and an associate. This included a one-off bargain purchase gain of SR768 million related to Maaden’s investment in Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. The company also benefited from lower finance costs.

The fourth quarter of 2025 was strong, with Maaden swinging to a net profit of SR1.67 billion, compared to a loss of SR106 million in the same period of the prior year. Quarterly revenue rose 7 percent to SR10.64 billion.

The firm achieved record production of di-ammonium phosphate, reaching 6.72 million tonnes for the year, a 9 percent increase. Aluminum production remained near-record levels, while the company added a net 7.8 million ounces to its reportable gold mineral resources through discovery and resource development.

The phosphate division saw sales jump 17 percent to SR20.77 billion, with the earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization margin expanding to 47 percent. The aluminum business reported a 9 percent increase in sales to SR10.99 billion, with EBITDA more than doubling in the fourth quarter.

Looking ahead, Wilt emphasized that the pace of growth will accelerate as the company advances key initiatives, including the Phosphate 3 Phase 1 and Ar Rjum projects, which remain on budget and schedule. Maaden has also secured a gas supply for its future Phosphate 4 project.

“This pace of growth will only accelerate. Not only as we advance projects and increase the scale of our exploration program, but as we continue to grow production and implement technology that will further modernize, streamline and unlock value,” Wilt added.

Earnings per share for the year rose sharply to SR1.91, up from SR0.78 in 2024. Total shareholders’ equity increased by 18.7 percent to SR61.59 billion.