Saudi Arabia launches Package Visa with flights, hotels and tourist visa in one booking
Pilot programme begins in selected international markets
DUBAI – Saudi Arabia has introduced the pilot phase of its new Package Visa, a digital initiative designed to simplify international travel by combining flights, accommodation and tourist visa processing into a single booking.
The programme is being rolled out through approved travel and tourism service providers in selected international markets. The initiative is part of the Kingdom's wider efforts to make travel more accessible as it continues to record strong tourism growth.
The Package Visa was developed through joint efforts by the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Interior and the Insurance Authority. It expands on previous reforms including the tourist e-Visa, Visa on Arrival and the Stopover Transit Visa, which together helped Saudi Arabia welcome more than 29 million inbound visitors in 2025.
Single booking
Under the pilot programme, eligible travellers can arrange their entire journey through qualified travel and tourism service providers. A single package combines return flights, accommodation at licensed hospitality facilities and the electronic tourist visa application into one seamless process.
Travel providers may also include event tickets, tourism experiences and local activities within the package, allowing visitors to plan their complete itinerary in one booking while reducing the number of administrative steps required before travelling.
Saudi Arabia’s tourism experience just got better.
— وزارة السياحة (@Saudi_MT) July 6, 2026
Building on our journey to make the Kingdom more accessible for inbound tourists, we are thrilled to announce the pilot launch of the #PackageVisa .
This new service allows global travelers to secure their visa, flights, and… pic.twitter.com/yGz4wa5zX7
Saudi Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb said the initiative reflects the Kingdom's commitment to making travel easier and more convenient.
He said Saudi Arabia's tourism journey has been driven by ambition, openness and continuous progress, adding that the Package Visa empowers travel partners, simplifies the visitor experience and offers a smarter way to discover the Kingdom. He described the pilot as a preview of future developments and invited tourism partners and travellers to take part.
Quality standards
The Ministry of Tourism said only travel providers meeting strict eligibility requirements will be allowed to participate in the programme. These include operating digital booking platforms, providing 24-hour technical support and maintaining customer service centres to ensure consistent service quality.
We began this transformation with groundbreaking milestones like the e-visa, visa-on-arrival, and transit visa, which fundamentally simplified tourists’ entry into the Kingdom.
— Ahmed Al Khateeb أحمد الخطيب (@AhmedAlKhateeb) July 6, 2026
Today, we take another major step forward with the pilot launch of the Package Visa—an initiative… pic.twitter.com/N5Q7ApqPOs
Officials believe the initiative will make Saudi travel packages more attractive, encourage visitors to stay longer and increase tourism spending while helping travel companies create higher-value itineraries.
Saudi tourism
The announcement comes as Saudi Arabia continues to post record tourism figures. According to the Ministry of Tourism's 2025 Annual Statistical Report, the Kingdom welcomed about 123 million inbound and domestic tourists in 2025, an increase of approximately 6 percent compared with 2024.
Tourism spending reached a record SR304 billion, up 7 percent from the previous year. The sector contributed 4.9 percent of Saudi Arabia's GDP in 2024, with its economic impact continuing to grow during 2025.
The report also showed that Saudi Arabia received 29.3 million international visitors, generating SR176.6 billion in inbound tourism spending. Domestic tourism reached 93.3 million travellers, who spent SR127.1 billion. Non-religious travel accounted for around 52 percent of inbound overnight visits in 2025, compared with 44 percent in 2019.
Employment across tourism industries reached nearly 1.03 million jobs in 2025, while Saudi women made up around 47 percent of Saudi employees in tourism-related activities, a sharp rise from 5 percent at the end of 2018.