Tourism Consultancy

This activity applies to anyone who offers tourism consulting, including opinions, advice, studies, or recommendations based on scientific or practical expertise. It applies to both commercial and consulting offices, as well as individuals, who provide services related to tourism activities licensed by the Ministry, such as tourist hospitality facilities of all categories, tourist guidance, and tourism and travel services of all types.

The activity begins once there is documented proof of an agreement between the licensee and the party requesting the advisory service, under any contractual arrangement. This agreement specifically outlines that the contracted services involve “expressing an opinion, making recommendations, or preparing studies related to any tourism activities.”

In the following cases, the licensee is deemed to be in violation of the regulation's provisions:

1. Practicing the activity without a valid license from the Ministry.

2. Practicing the activity with an expired license from the Ministry.

3. Practicing the activity while awaiting a license from the Ministry.

4. Practicing the activity with invalid or expired government licenses or permits.

5. Violating any of the ongoing obligations outlined in the Tourism Consulting Regulations.

1. Meeting the minimum qualification criteria.

2. Submitting an updated CV in Arabic, detailing the applicant's experience, administrative roles, and positions held in each organization, along with academic certificates.

3. Providing a certificate from social insurance or its equivalent, to verify practical experience and positions held in organizations, issued within one month prior to the license application.

4. Submitting copies of the applicant's academic certificates.

5. The license application must be submitted through the tourism licensing platform; no documents or forms are to be submitted manually.

6. The applicant must specify the desired license duration (one, two, or three years).

7. The electronic link between the ministry and government entities to verify certificates and identity is sufficient for document submission, unless additional certificates need to be attached to the electronically registered application. The ministry will verify the authenticity of these documents with the relevant authorities.

8. The application cannot be submitted with invalid documents, including expired, canceled, or deleted certificates, or certificates that don't meet individual licensing criteria, or unclear documents.

9. The Ministry may automate the attachment or verification of documents and permits, without direct involvement from the applicant, in coordination with relevant government entities. However, the license application will not be completed unless the applicant confirms the accuracy of the data.

10. The application cannot proceed at any stage if any of the required certificates and documents expire, are canceled, or become invalid before the license is granted.

11. The applicant cannot authorize a third party to submit the license application on their behalf.

The qualification requirements are outlined in the services guide, which can be reviewed here: Click here

The license is issued once the following requirements are met:

1. Successful classification of the office or individual.

2. Classification of the office or individual (specialist, advanced, or expert).

3. Confirmation of acceptance of the desired license duration.

4. Notification sent to the applicant, via SMS, email, and through the platform, confirming application acceptance, the financial fee based on the selected category, and the required license duration.

5. After the payment of the financial fee, the license is issued through the tourism licensing platform.

1. Name of the office or individual.

2. License number issued by the Ministry.

3. Official address of the office.

4. License category and classification.

5. License issuance date and expiry date.

6. The office must display the Ministry-issued license for the main office, and the license for each branch, in a location visible to visitors. If the service is provided electronically, the license must be displayed on the website.

7. The office must ensure that the license data is accessible as per the above requirements, and the unified certificate for government licenses may be displayed in place of the Ministry-issued license.

8. Individual licensees must inform anyone they interact with in the tourism consulting activity about the license, upon request.

If the Ministry determines that the licensee is practicing the activity and violating any ongoing obligations after receiving the tourism consultancy license, the licensee is considered a "violator of the provisions of the law and regulations." In this case, regulatory penalties will be applied based on the violation category and scope, as outlined in the table of violations and penalties for the tourism consultancy activity. This table, which can be found on the Ministry of Tourism website under the laws and regulations section, includes violation codes and items, but does not specify the financial and non-financial penalties, as they may vary depending on the scope of the violation.

1. A valid commercial register that includes tourism consulting as an activity, linked to the AIESEC classification for tourism consulting.

2. A valid license from the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing. If the office is under another supervisory body, a license from the competent authority must be provided, or the service provider's website must be documented electronically.

3. Proof of practical experience as per the qualification conditions through consulting contract documents and their outcomes.

4. For Saudi investors: Provide a license for the "Advanced or Expert" category in tourism consulting from the Ministry of Tourism.

5. For foreign investors: Provide evidence of at least 5 years of practical experience in tourism consulting.

6. Submit the required official data in the license application (including phone, email, office location, and office representative information).

7. Submit evidence of trademark usage—if applicable—with a document from the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property. If it is an international trademark, provide proof from the company in the home country that they do not object to the applicant using it in Saudi Arabia.

8. The license application for offices must be submitted through the tourism licensing platform; no documents or forms may be submitted manually.

9. The applicant must specify the desired license period (one, two, or three years).

10. The electronic link between the Ministry and government entities will verify certificates, licenses, and permits, unless additional documentation needs to be attached to the electronically registered application. The 11. Ministry will verify the validity of these documents from the relevant authorities.

12. The application cannot be submitted with invalid documents or licenses, which includes expired, canceled, or unclear documents.

13. To facilitate business operations, the Ministry may automate document and permit attachment or verification, in coordination with relevant government entites. However, the application will not be completed unless the applicant confirms the accuracy of the data.

14. The application must be submitted by the Director of the Commercial Register at the Ministry of Commerce, and submission through them will be considered official for the office's legal entity.

15. The licensee must obtain a separate license for the main office and each branch office providing services.

Branch offices must have the same category and classification as the main office.

The qualification requirements are outlined in the services guide, which can be reviewed here: Click here

1. The license renewal application must be submitted within the last sixty (60) days before its expiration, through the tourism licensing platform.

2. If the license expires without renewal, a new license application must be submitted, following the same licensing conditions, whether for individuals or offices.

1. The commercial register and all commercial licenses must be valid, and their validity will be verified through the Ministry’s linking systems with government entites.

2. A pledge from the applicant confirming that they will meet the same conditions and requirements that were in place when the original license was granted.

3. The renewal fee will be based on the category and type of consulting license to be renewed, as well as the specified renewal period.

4. Once the renewal fee is paid, the Ministry will issue the renewed license through the tourism licensing platform, and its validity will begin from the expiration of the previous license.

1. The applicant's qualifications and experience will be evaluated based on the documents submitted and the eligibility conditions.

2. If the requirements for obtaining a license are met and the minimum for the category is exceeded, the classification the applicant deserves will be determined based on the points achieved.

3. The application will be rejected if the minimum for the category is not met.

4. The application may be resubmitted once if the documents are incomplete, invalid, or if there are any comments or inquiries from the Ministry regarding the application.

1. When the tourism consulting office is closed or the activity is halted for a specific period, the start and end dates of the closure or stoppage must be specified, along with the reasons for it. All affected parties must be notified, and necessary obligations must be settled during the stoppage period.

2. When an individual stops their activity for a specified period, meaning they will halt existing work or stop receiving requests, the start and end dates must be specified, along with the reasons for the stoppage. All affected parties must be notified, and necessary obligations must be settled during the stoppage period.

1. For permanent suspension and cancellation of the license.

2. For modification of license data, such as changing the location of the tourism consulting office (main or branch office), updating the commercial register after modifications at the Ministry of Commerce, or changing the trade name after it has been modified at the Ministry of Commerce, or adding/modifying the trademark.

3. It is not allowed to modify the trade name or add/modify the trademark on the external signboard, official publications, or media until the application has been accepted on the tourism licensing platform.

4. If the main office license is cancelled while branch office licenses remain active, the licensee must specify which branch will become the main office within 15 days of the cancellation. If the licensee fails to specify a new main office within this period, the Ministry may designate any of the branch offices as the main office.

5. If the activity is completely cancelled, including licenses for both the main and branch offices, the request to cancel the branch office licenses must be submitted first, followed by the request to cancel the main office license, through the tourism licensing platform.

1. Licensed offices must continuously ensure the validity of their commercial register, municipal licenses, and civil defense permits throughout the duration of their license as tourism consulting offices.

2. Licensed offices and individuals must consistently verify that they are providing the services for which they were granted the license. They must also comply with the instructions, circulars, and decisions issued by the Ministry, as posted on the Ministry of Tourism website or communicated through text messages and emails registered with the Ministry. Any circulars, decisions, and instructions sent to the registered contact information are considered official notifications to the licensee.

3. Licensed offices and individuals must not publish any advertisements in media outlets that use the Ministry’s logo or name in permits, press releases, media publications, or on social media, unless they have obtained prior approval from the Ministry. This does not apply to factual information that is publicly available, including their licensing by the Ministry.

4. Licensed offices must appoint representatives to communicate directly with the Ministry. For individual licensees, communication with the Ministry will only be through them.

1. The office licensee must allow the Ministry's employee to perform their duties and responsibilities during a visit, including reviewing all documents and papers related to the purpose of the visit.

2. To facilitate continuous follow-up on complaints received by the Ministry or to monitor the implementation of circulars, decisions, and other matters requiring urgent attention, the office must have a specialized team available around the clock to maintain continuous contact with the Ministry.

3. Similarly, for continuous follow-up on complaints received by the Ministry or to follow up on the implementation of circulars, decisions, and other matters requiring urgent follow-up, the licensed individual must be available to be contacted around the clock by the Ministry's specialized team.

1. Licensed offices must display the license issued by the Ministry in a visible location for visitors to the office. If the licensee has a previous license and receives a new one, the new license must be presented immediately after it is issued by the Ministry.

2. Instead of the license and classification, the unified official identification document for the facility can be used, which includes the full license and classification data in digital format through scanning.

3. Licensed offices must present the updated license upon receiving any notification from the Ministry to replace the existing one.

4. Licensed offices must use the trade name and classification as stated in the license on local and international reservation platforms as well as their websites.

5. Licensed offices must clarify the trade name on which the license was issued in official papers and publications. If the category and classification are mentioned in these official papers, they must reflect the category and degree according to the license document issued by the Ministry. It is not permissible to use any other criteria or categories in these papers before receiving the official document authorizing them.

6. The licensee must not display data for any expired license in attachments, official publications, or on electronic marketing platforms, nor circulate or display such information.

1. The licensee must comply with all health rules and conditions, as well as any circulars, directives, or instructions issued by the competent authorities regarding health standards, requirements, and the health fitness of workers, including the services provided in the facility.

2. The licensee must ensure the cleanliness of the facility and schedule regular maintenance to maintain the office in a condition suitable for receiving visitors and clients.

3. The licensee must ensure that their workers maintain good appearance and wear clean clothing, implementing necessary policies for this throughout the work period.

4. The licensee must observe the following conditions in all official dealings:

a. Specify the approved communication channels for the office (website, email, social media, WhatsApp, phone number).

b. Respond to inquiries through these channels in both Arabic and English, based on the preference of those contacting the office.

c. Use both Hijri and Gregorian dates in official correspondence and contracts.

5. The licensee must have an administrative structure that clearly defines the tasks and responsibilities of each administrative unit and its competencies.

6. The licensee must inform parties with valid contracts about the procedures to be followed during the temporary closure period, ensuring no violation of their contractual rights.

7. The licensee must not refuse to provide any service that is agreed upon in the contracts.

1. The Ministry may request statistics and data from licensees for purposes such as preparing statistical reports, surveys, or other research, as follows:

a. Specific requests for a defined period: A questionnaire may be issued for a particular period to study a service, assess requirements, review performance, or collect opinions.

b. Periodic requests for data: A set of data may be required on an annual or quarterly basis, with adequate time given for the investor to submit the data through the Ministry's electronic platform.

c. Requests will be communicated through circulars sent to the official contact information provided in the license application, and these circulars are considered officially delivered by these means.

d. Penalties may apply if the facility fails to provide the required data within the specified timeframe.

2. The licensee is required to update their license data whenever changes occur, such as updates to contact information, location, or any other data requested in the original license form submitted to the Ministry.

3. The licensee must retain all contract documents, correspondence, and any materials related to the tourism consulting activity.

The Minister, or their delegate, may grant exemptions from the requirements outlined in paragraph (3) of Article (Five) and paragraph (3) of Article (Six) of the Regulations, based on the following considerations:

1. The Ministry may exempt certain license requirements based on the needs of the tourism sector in the targeted area.

2. The Ministry may grant exemptions due to the applicant's high qualifications, skills, experience, or capabilities that fulfill the requirements.

3. The Ministry may provide exemptions for other reasons, as determined by the Minister, based on each specific case. This decision will be made after assessing the importance of the exemption, in alignment with the tourism sector's strategic plans and regional challenges, while ensuring quality and safety standards are maintained.

4.The exemption request must be submitted through a letter addressed to the Minister of Tourism.