Saudi is a gateway to the World Cup and home to destinations waiting to be explored. Holders of the Hayya Card will be able to apply for the new visa online and book a trip to the authentic home of Arabia with confidence, before, during and after the World Cup. Visas will allow a 60-day stay in Saudi beginning 10 days before the tournament.
The announcement encourages first-time and returning visitors alike to explore destinations in close proximity to the World Cup. Saudi is a short hop away making it a practical and convenient destination for World Cup attendees to visit or make a home base during the games. Saudi is expecting to welcome football fans from around the world.
Beyond proximity, travellers are looking to visit Saudi for authentic Arabian culture, and adventure and to round out their experience while in the region. Saudi will be hosting a dynamic programme of entertainment events including MDLBeast, Red Sea Film Festival, Riyadh Season and Winter at Tantoura in AlUla, all of which take place during the World Cup.
To increase air connectivity, Saudia will be operating 40 shuttle flights daily to Doha from both Jeddah and Riyadh, increasing to 60 daily flights on the Saudi team’s match days. Doha is only a 90-minute flight from Riyadh. The Salwa Border Crossing between Saudi and Qatar will also be open for land travel and the new port will have an increased daily capacity of more than 24,000 cars.
Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO and Member of the Board at Saudi Tourism Authority, said: “Football lovers from around the world can book to visit Saudi with confidence because the total value chain is complete from connectivity and accessibility to the ease of securing a multiple entry visa. It’s easier than ever to enjoy all that Saudi has to offer and I invite those visiting the region for the world cup to visit Saudi, the true home of Arabia and explore all that the country has to offer.”
Home to 6 UNESCO World Heritage sites and more than 10,000 archaeological sites, as well as the mountainous Asir region– which includes Rijal Almaa, voted a UNWTO ‘best tourism village’ in 2021 and the arts and culture hub of Jeddah, the Saudi tourism ecosystem continues to transform and evolve. Saudi has now lifted all travel Covid restrictions for international travellers. To find out more about the new Hayya Card multi-entry visa, visit: Visit Saudi
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