International tourism put on ice as Saudi plans new airport

Saudi authorities have said that the issue of tourist visas to foreigners has been temporarily stopped “to achieve larger interests,” Arab News has reported. The move throws into question a recent boom in flights to the Kingdom and a perceived opening up of the Kingdom to international tourists.

“Currently, our focus is on domestic tourism, targeting domestic tourists in proportion to foreigners in the kingdom,” Prince Sultan bin Salman, president of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) said.

Before the decision, the kingdom issued tourist visas to “distinct categories and select groups, and this limits the number of tourists each year to less than 15,000,” he said.

Airlines such as nasair - the privately owned budget carrier has been developing its growth in the region based on the tourism prospects.

Meanwhile in the Kingdom more investments are being made to enhance tourism

Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal has announced plans to establish an airport in Qunfuda, a town on the Red Sea, south of Jeddah, as well as a seaport and an industrial city in Al-Leeth, another town on the Red Sea.

He made this comment after launching a number of tourism projects in Qunfuda and Al-Leeth, in the presence of Prince Mansour bin Miteb, minister of municipal and rural affairs and Prince Sultan bin Salman,.

“We have completed construction of most infrastructure projects in both Qunfuda and Al-Leeth,” the governor said. Prince Sultan said the new tourism projects launched by Prince Khaled would create about 50,000 new jobs for Saudis.