In recent months, Middle Eastern countries such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are introducing new programs to bring in tourists. Visa-free policies and new visa types are now available for some countries, and a new visa is in the works: a joint visa.

Joint Visa Details

On Friday, a report from the Future Investment Initiative (FII) in Riyadh said that both countries are working a joint visa. The new visa will allow foreigners to travel to both countries without filing for a separate visa.

The announcement was made by UAE’s Minister of Economy Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansoori. He mentioned the new project during the latest FII meeting, which happened on October 31. Around 6,000 attendees worldwide were in the session and 300 of them are decision-makers for 30 countries.

In a statement quoted by Al Eqtisadiah newspaper, Al Mansoori said “This initiative aims at taking advantage of the enormous potential and great measures taken by Saudi Arabia to facilitate the entry of tourists to the Kingdom.”

Once the negotiations are complete, the visa will be active next year. Full details about the joint visa project are not yet available.

Around 24,000 tourists came to Saudi Arabia since the beginning of its newest visa system on September 27. According to Saudi media, most of these visitors came from China with 7,391 tourists. They are followed by British and American citizens respectively with 6,159 and 2,132 tourists respectively. Saudi’s Foreign Ministry says the country aims to target 100 million visitors yearly by 2030.

Currently, 41 million visitors visit Saudi every year.

Saudi and UAE Tips

For those interested to travel to Saudi Arabia, there are a lot of guides available to help. You can visit the official tourism website of the Kingdom through this link. The site also has details about how international tourists can get visa to visit the country. You may also check with your local Saudi Embassy for more details about traveling to the country.

Meanwhile, if you are planning to visit the UAE, there are a lot of articles online to help you out. You can check out the Dubai Tourism Board or the Abu Dhabi Tourism Board to find out more about the two cities. You can also check out our article about the Best Places to Stay in Dubai for some extra ideas.

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Chinese tourists are often the largest number of tourists recorded in certain countries worldwide. They go around countries in groups and they bring in a large revenue when they visit. Many countries are working on improving their visa policy to get these Chinese tourists in their country. For Brazil the rest of the Mercosur countries, a joint visa program for Chinese citizens may just be the answer.

The Plan for a Joint Visa

On Monday, the representatives from Brazil and Argentina announced that they are working on a special travel visa for Chinese visitors. The new visa aims to make it easy for these Chinese tourists to visit the two South American countries.

During the Global Tourism Economy Forum in Macau, Argentina’s Minister of Tourism of the Secretariat of State for Tourism Gustavo Santos said that Argentina has already allowed Chinese nationals with US and Schengen visa to enter the country without applying a separate visa. Visas granted to Chinese nationals are also up to 10 years.

Santos also said that they are working with Brazil to boost the tourist visa application process. They will be discussing these proposals in the incoming Mercosur meeting in November. Mercosur is a regional block which includes Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay.

Meanwhile, Brazil’s Minister for Tourism Marcelo Alvaro Antonio said Mercosur countries could double the number of tourists it has if they agreed to the new measures. He also said that if finalized, Chinese tourists who get an Argentinian visa will easily get a Brazil visa.

Aside from a joint visa, the two countries are also looking at more visa exceptions for Chinese nationals and more visa centers in China.

Brazil and Argentina Tourist Info

For those who wish to visit Brazil and Argentina, you need to prepare where you can go. In Brazil, you check out Visit Brazil, the country’s official tourism site. Our site also has a short guide on where you can stay in Sao Paulo.

Those who wish to work in the country can check out our guide on the cost of living and the average salary in the Brazilian capital.

For those who will be visiting Argentina, you can check out either the website of Welcome Argentina or the official tourism website of Argentina. Our site also has a guide on where you can stay in Buenos Aires and for those who wish to work there, a guide on the salary in Buenos Aires.

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