RIYADH, 24 May — As the number of tourists from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states to Britain is poised to increase this summer, the British government has urged visitors not to carry more than one kilogram of cooked meat.
The warning came ahead of the summer season when a large number of Gulf tourists prefer to spend their holidays in Britain. Most Gulf families carry with them a variety of cooked food items, including traditional dishes prepared from meat.
The warning relayed by the British Embassy in Riyadh on Sunday said the British authorities would take to court non-European visitors who carry with them more than one kilogram of cooked meat flouting the regulations
“If they are found guilty of violating this rule, they would face a two-year jail sentence in addition to a fine of £5,000,” the embassy said in a statement. The authorities would also confiscate and destroy the dishes, it added. The embassy said there were restrictions on travelers to the country for taking with them dairy and fish products as well.
Muhammad Al-Mansour, media manager at the British Tourism Authority in Dubai, told Arab News that the number of Gulf tourists to Britain was expected to increase this year by two to three percent compared to the figure last year.
As many as 107,000 Saudis visited Britain last year and spent more than 100 million pounds there. Some 119,000 visitors came from the United Arab Emirates and 116,000 from other Gulf Cooperation Council states.
Last year Britain received a total of 25.1 million foreign tourists who spent about £722 million in the country.
Gulf travel and tourism agencies said they had started receiving bookings from intending holiday-makers during this summer.
Meanwhile, the US Embassy in Riyadh has appointed a number of travel agents and public service offices to act as intermediaries between the embassy and applicants for non-immigrant visas to the country.
The move is aimed at speeding up visa-processing procedures. Saudis can obtain multiple-entry visas for two years for a fee of SR198. The fees for other nationals vary.
An embassy source said the condition of personal interview is limited to non-Saudis who have not visited the US during the last two years.
He said the embassy rarely rejects visa applications from Saudis. Last year it issued 50,000 visas, 35,000 of them to Saudis.
