RIYADH, 26 August 2003 — An unusually large number of Saudi tourists visited Iran this year. There was a corresponding substantial reduction in the number of Saudi tourists going to the US and Europe.
Nearly 30,000 Iranian visas were issued to Saudis this summer which may indicate a new tourist trend in the aftermath of Sept. 11.
“We issued 15,000 visas to Saudi tourists in 20 days during the peak period last month,” said Alireza Enayati, deputy chief of the Iranian mission. “A substantial number of Saudi tourists visited Iran,” said Enayati, adding that the country offers a variety of tourist attractions for a variety of tastes.
A number of tourists from other Gulf countries have also shown interest in Iran. Enayati pointed out that the Iranian Embassy and the consulate in Jeddah had issued free visas to Saudi tourists this year. There were no restrictions imposed on Saudis applying for Iranian visas.
During the last four years there have been contacts between high-ranking Saudi and Iranian officials, Enayati explained. The Riyadh Exhibition Company, in cooperation with the International Company of Iranian Exhibitions, recently organized an exhibition for Iranian products and services. Trade between Riyadh and Tehran amounted to more than SR932 million last year.
The Kingdom and Iran have also shown interest in increasing trade ties and promoting additional joint investment. The Saudi Fund for Development is currently consulting Iranian banks to explore aspects of cooperation in foreign trade transactions and exports and also to exchange information and expertise in the field of management techniques and banking operations. This cooperation is in addition to that already existing between the Kingdom and Iran in the oil and petrochemical sector.
