Saudi Arabia Visa: Gays Welcomed

A Saudi Arabia visa has never been a top item sought by the LGBTQ community. In fact, “Don’t Say Gay” has been a more familiar refrain in this strict kingdom of rules and religious mores.

But these days, that idea has turned on its head. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is now publicly welcoming gay travelers, at least if the official website’s FAQs are accurate.

Question: “Are LGBT visitors welcome to visit Saudi Arabia?”

The website responds on its FAQ page: “Everyone is welcome to visit Saudi Arabia, and we do not ask visitors to disclose such personal details.”

While the Saudi Tourism Authority does not admit that it ever formally prohibited gay travelers or denied Saudi Arabia visa to those deemed members of the gay community, the new welcoming stipulation is, indeed, attracting open eyes and second glances.

Same Sexual Activity

Same-sex sexual activity is still illegal in Saudi Arabia, as reported by Human Rights Watch. Recently, the Ministry of Commerce raided businesses selling rainbow-colored items like toys, hair clips, and pencil cases, according to the BBC.

The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (Ilga) monitors the progress of laws relating to homosexuality around the world and notes the death penalty is the legally prescribes penalty pay for same-sex sexual acts in several countries, including Saudi Arabia. 

Gay travelers may face challenges in Saudi Arabia, as openly traveling with partners or seeking romantic situations is difficult. While obtaining a visa is easy, enjoying a free travel experience there poses other challenges.

Still, Visiting an ancient land recently opened to foreigners offers a rich blend of history, beauty, and archaeology. While there, travelers should adjust to conservative traditions. Women must cover their hair and sometimes their faces. They may also need to stay apart from men in certain situations. Authorities restrict alcohol consumption, at least outside hotels.

Meanwhile, Sharia Law in Saudi Arabia forbids homosexuality, with authorities imposing punishments like death or flogging. However, the enforcement of these laws is inconsistent.

The US State Department’s 2022 report on human rights stated that authorities did not prosecute any cases of same-sex relations during the year.

Saudi Arabia Progress

 Saudi Arabia is making gradual progress on human rights. In 2021, Pure Beach opened in Jeddah along the Red Sea, marking the country’s first beach where women can wear bikinis.

Unmarried couples are also “welcomed” in this kingdom, the Saudi tourism website states: “Everyone is welcome to visit Saudi Arabia and unmarried couples are able to share accommodation … it is important to respect local customs and act in a culturally sensitive manner when in public.”

In 2019, a new Saudi decree was constructs to allow unmarried foreign couples to share hotel rooms.

Until 2019, Saudi Arabia issued visas only for official business or religious pilgrimages. The country enforced strict laws on dress, behavior, and public interactions. The religious police enforced conservative dress codes and regulations. People could get arrested for playing music, wearing excessive makeup, or being seen in public with a member of the opposite sex.

Law of 2017

The laws began to change slowly in 2017 when Mohamed bin Salman became the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. He launched Saudi Vision 2030, a campaign to modernize the country and reduce reliance on oil revenue. For the first time, authorities issued women’s driver’s licenses, allowing them to drive. Grand entertainment venues sprouted up, and international music festivals took place. Organizers planned international events, and authorities made Saudi Arabia tourist visas easier to obtain for visitors from 49 countries, including the USA.

In fact, Saudi Tourism representatives tout tourism as “the new oil” and have set a goal of issuing 100 million tourism visas as part of the Saudi Vision 2030 campaign. In 2022, the Kingdom welcomed 77 million domestic travelers and 16.5 million international visitors, adding up to 93.5 million. By comparison, Dubai, the tourism leader in the region, attracted 14.5 million international visitors in 2022.

Conclusion: Saudi Arabia visa

“The target is too low and it will increase,” said Saudi Tourism Authority’s (STA) CEO Fahd Hamidaddin at the Arabian Travel Market last week. He said would like 60 percent of tourism to come from international visits, according to reports from the trade show. Responding to a question a show press conference about these tourism goals, Hamidaddin said: “My problem today is a shortage of airlift and accommodation. We’re not going to face the issue of oversupply based on the pace we’re seeing right now.”

According to global luxury and real estate consultancy Knight Frank, Saudi Arabia’s hotel supply and planning outpace Dubai. The country is expanding its hospitality sector, aiming to add up to 315,000 hotel rooms by 2030. This will significantly exceed the 140,000 hotel rooms currently available in Dubai.

“The world in the 1920s came to Saudi for oil, now the world will come in the 2020s for tourism saudi arabia visa. Tourism is the new oil,” he said