It looks like hajj for first-timers is getting better by the day.
Days after a new go-to guide for hajj was launched, Saudi Arabia has announced changes to the visa fees in the kingdom, one of which dismisses visa fees for all first-time pilgrims coming to perform hajj or umrah.
The new fee structure, which is set to take effect Oct. 2, includes a $533 (2,000 riyals) single-entry visa, applicable to all visitors, other than first-timers.
The rates of multiple-entry visas will also change, with a six-month entry visa costing 3,000 Saudi riyals, a one-year costing 5,000 Saudi riyal and a two-year costing 8,000 Saudi riyals.
In line with Saudi's Vision 2030, the kingdom plans to issue a number of tourist visas per year, not just for pilgrims coming in to perform hajj or umrah.
“At the moment there is no tourism visa, only for business and hajj and umrah visas,” Otto Goessnitzer, a hospitality consultant, said, according to 7 Days .
Despite what people think, the kingdom has a lot to offer in terms of tourism. From the islands to the mountains and the Red Sea, tourists will be able to see for themselves in the coming years.
