RIYADH: Saudi Arabia threw open its doors to foreign tourists on Friday , launching a new visa regime for 49 countries and appealing to foreign companies to invest in a sector it hopes will contribute 10 per cent of gross domestic product by 2030.
Visas will be available online for about US$80 , with no restrictions for unaccompanied women as in the past. Access to the Muslim holy cities of Mecca and Medina is restricted. The move is part of de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's ambitious plans to develop new industries to wean the world's top oil exporter off crude and open up society including by introducing previously banned entertainment.
Tourism is high on the crown prince's agenda, despite a shortage of infrastructure. To drive growth, Khateeb estimated some 250 billion riyals of investments are needed, including 500,000 new hotel rooms by 2030 - half at government-backed mega projects and half from private investors.
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