Planning a holiday to Saudi Arabia will soon be as easy as making a booking.In its latest move to transform the country’s tourism industry, Saudi Arabia has launched the pilot phase of its new tourist package visa service, an initiative that combines flight booking, hotel reservations and tourist visa processing into an integrated travel package. The program is designed to take out the hassle of organizing each part of the trip separately, while providing visitors with a seamless experience from the moment they start planning their trip.The new service reflects Saudi Arabia’s broader strategy to make the kingdom more accessible to international tourists as it pursues its ambitious Vision 2030 tourism goals. Instead of navigating multiple websites and separate applications, eligible travelers can now secure their entire itinerary, including their visa, through approved travel service providers in a single digital process.
How does a Saudi Arabia package visa work?
The new package visa allows visitors to purchase a complete travel package that ties together almost every essential part of a vacation.A single booking may include:
- return airfare
- Accommodation at licensed tourist properties
- electronic tourist visa processing
- Tourist activities and cultural experiences
- Entertainment events and attractions
Instead of first booking flights, applying for visas separately and then finding hotels, travelers complete everything in a single transaction through accredited travel and tourism providers. The government says this significantly reduces paperwork and simplifies the overall travel planning process.The initiative is also designed to encourage visitors to explore more destinations within Saudi Arabia by making it easier to add experiences and activities when booking their trip. Officials believe this integrated approach can encourage longer stays and increase tourism spending throughout the state.
Who can apply?
For now, the program is being offered on a pilot basis and is only available through approved “general category” travel and tourism service providers operating in selected international markets.According to Saudi officials, tourists traveling in the first phase include:
- India
- Pakistan
- bangladesh
- Indonesia
- egypt
- Jordan
- Mexico
The pilot comes with a number of operational requirements to ensure the system runs smoothly before wider expansion. These include a fully-fledged digital booking platform, continuous 24/7 technical support and dedicated visitor communication services.Saudi media report that package prices start at SAR 4,000, while trips must be booked for a stay of at least two days. Each package can accommodate up to 14 passengers, making the service particularly attractive to families, tour groups and group holidays.Officials have indicated that the initiative will gradually expand to additional markets after evaluating the pilot phase.
tourism development of saudi arabia
The package visa is not just a new visa category, it represents another step in a broader transformation of Saudi Arabia’s tourism ecosystem.In recent years, the Kingdom has continuously introduced measures to ease travel, including electronic tourist visas, visa on arrival options and transit visas. The latest initiative builds on those improvements by integrating travel services into one digital customer journey rather than treating visa applications as a separate process.This program is also expected to strengthen partnerships with private travel companies. By allowing agencies to bundle flights, hotels and experiences as well as visa arrangements, operators can offer more comprehensive vacation packages, creating added value for travelers.
looking ahead
Officials hope these enriched itineraries will encourage visitors to stay longer and explore more of Saudi Arabia’s rapidly growing tourism offerings.This period marks Saudi Arabia’s remarkable tourism growth. According to official figures, the Kingdom welcomed more than 29 million international visitors in 2025, highlighting the rapid expansion of its tourism sector as the country works towards becoming one of the world’s leading travel destinations under Vision 2030.Saudi Arabia is signaling that the future of travel could be less about paperwork and more about convenience, with the launch of the Package Visa pilot, which will bring together flights, accommodation, experiences and entry permissions into one seamless booking to make exploring the Kingdom easier than ever.