Finally Saudi Arabia Issued tourist Visa

One of the world's most conservative countries to welcome holidaymakers: Saudi Arabia will issue tourist visas from April
The famous desert country will begin issuing visas to tourists from 1st April 2018
It will also offer passes for business travel, pilgrims and relatives visiting family
It's part of the Vision 2030 plan, which will see nation become less oil dependent
By JAMES DRAPER FOR MAILONLINE
It's known for being a conservative nation with little interest in competing for foreign visitors.
But that's all set to change, because ultra-conservative Saudi Arabia is finally embracing holiday-makers and will be issuing tourist visas from 1st April.
The electronic passes will be given to 'all nationals whose countries allow their citizens to visit' in a bid to further modernise the desert country's global image and boost the economy.
The man behind it all: Part of wider social reform under Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, it's hoped the initiative will double the number of annual visitors to 30million by 2030
The man behind it all: Part of wider social reform under Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, it's hoped the initiative will double the number of annual visitors to 30million by 2030
Currently, Saudi Arabia grants tourist visas for a limited number of countries, but even those applications involve a range of restrictions, including requirements to travel through an accredited company and stay at designated hotels. Pictured is the capital, Riyadh +5
Currently, Saudi Arabia grants tourist visas for a limited number of countries, but even those applications involve a range of restrictions, including requirements to travel through an accredited company and stay at designated hotels. Pictured is the capital, Riyadh
Part of wider social reform under Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, it's hoped the initiative will double the number of annual visitors to 30million by 2030.
In turn, this is predicted to raise an additional $54billion (£39billion) by 2020.
The overhaul is an integral part of Prince Salman's Vision 2030 plan, which will ultimately make the nation less dependent on oil.
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'We recognize that Allah the Almighty has bestowed on our lands a gift more precious than oil,' his ambitious mission states.
'Our Kingdom is the Land of the Two Holy Mosques, the most sacred sites on earth, and the direction of the Kaaba (Qibla) to which more than a billion Muslims turn at prayer.' 
Tourist highlights are likely to include the Great Mosque of Mecca, archeological site Mada'in Saleh and the Al Fanateer Beach.
Still being built: Saudi Arabia's $2billion, 3,300ft Jeddah Tower will be a focal point of its new approach to tourism - featuring a hotel, apartments and offices +5
Still being built: Saudi Arabia's $2billion, 3,300ft Jeddah Tower will be a focal point of its new approach to tourism - featuring a hotel, apartments and offices
Tourist highlights will also include the Great Mosque of Mecca, pictured, archeological site Mada'in Saleh and the Al Fanateer Beach
Tourist highlights will also include the Great Mosque of Mecca, pictured, archeological site Mada'in Saleh and the Al Fanateer Beach
Saudi'a top tourist official, Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, said the cost of the new tourist visa had not yet been settled, but stressed that it would be 'as low as possible, because we believe the cumulative economic impact is greater than the cash from the visa'. 
Currently, Saudi Arabia grants tourist visas for a limited number of countries, but even those applications involve a range of restrictions, including requirements to travel through an accredited company and stay at designated hotels.
Saudi Arabia, though richly endowed with natural beauty, is notorious worldwide for its longstanding bans on the mixing of the sexes, alcohol consumption and, until recently, women driving.
In recent months, the kingdom has broken with some of its most rigid rules - lifting a cinema ban, allowing genders to mix at a national celebration and announcing that women will be allowed to drive by June.
Last August, Prince Mohammed also announced a massive tourism project to turn 50 islands and a string of sites on the Red Sea into luxury resorts.
The Unesco world heritage site of Mada'in Saleh, which will undoubtedly be a popular
The Unesco world heritage site of Mada'in Saleh, which will undoubtedly be on the itineraries of many visitors