JEDDAH, 26 April 2005 — Saudi Arabia is studying the possibility of issuing business and tourist visas at airports as part of its efforts to attract foreign investment and tourists, according to Abdul Rahman Al-Jeraisy, chairman of the Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
“The Kingdom has set up a committee comprising representatives of various government departments to work out mechanisms to issue visas to businessmen and tourists at airports,” Asharq Al-Awsat daily quoted Jeraisy as saying.
Jeraisy hoped that the committee would adopt recommendations that would enable businessmen and tourists to get visas at airports instead of from Saudi missions abroad. Many GCC countries have already started issuing such visas on arrival.
He said many semi-government agencies and private firms were holding their conferences outside the Kingdom as a result of difficulty in getting visas for participants.
“We have to take quick steps to tackle this problem by providing visas to businessmen and tourists at the airport,” he added.
Jeraisy said Riyadh Governor Prince Salman had given his approval to hold a tourism festival in the capital city from June 15 to July 7.
The Riyadh governorate and municipality and the Supreme Commission for Tourism will organize the event.
Muhammad Al-Moajel, chairman of the Tourism Committee at the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the festival featuring more than 140 programs would attract nearly one million tourists and visitors from within and outside the country. He estimated total tourist spending during the festival at about SR500 million.
