Tourism Law

By virtue of Royal Decree No. (M/18) dated Muharram 26th, 1444 AH and Council of Ministers Resolution No. (79) dated Muharram 25th, 1444 AH, a law has been established to regulate tourism activities, as well as the issuance of licenses and permits. This law establishes the criteria and requirements for the practice of tourism activities that fall under the Ministry's purview, while also defining the violations and corresponding penalties for non-compliance with the law and its regulations.

Yes, there are classification criteria that apply to different types of tourism activities, and these criteria can vary based on the specific activity and type of license.

These are regulations issued by the Minister based on the Tourism Law:

  • Tourism Activities Regulations:
    • Tourism Accommodation Facilities Regulations, Travel and Tourism Services Regulations, Tourism Guidance Regulations, Tourism Accommodation Facilities Management Regulations, Private Tourism Accommodation Facilities Regulations, Tourism Consultancy Regulations, Experiential Activities Regulations.
  • Quality Assurance and Service Control Regulations:
    • Regulations for the Committee responsible for reviewing violations of the Tourism Law and Regulations, as well as tourism activity inspection regulations.
  • Regulations for tourism sector enablement and activation:
    • Regulations for destination development.
  • Regulations for visitors:
    • Regulations for tourism visa.

For further information, the regulations can be found on the MT website

  1. Develop approved tourism activities prior to the Tourism Law issuance and introduce new tourism-sector activities.
  2. Enable the sector and facilitate the tourism activity license issuance requirements.
  3. Determine tourism activities practitioners’ obligations to uphold high service quality and tourists' rights.
  4. Ensure sustainability in tourism facilities and develop workers in the tourism sector.
  5. Contribute to attracting investment and enhancing tourism sector competitiveness.

Yes, through the regulations' obligations relating to services provided to tourists and related offences and penalties applied to violators.

Yes, the Ministry has issued regulations to inspect tourism activities allowing it to monitor the extent of compliance with the services provided by tourist activity practitioners, regulate violations, and issue penalties in accordance with the approved and relevant schedules of infractions and penalties.

Yes, this is in line with the Tourism Accommodation Facilities Regulations, said facility’s types, and classification criteria. --- For further information, please refer to the Tourism Accommodation Facilities Regulations and classification criteria on the Ministry’s website .

A grace period was granted to all licensees engaged in tourism activities, to enable them to adjust their status to comply with the Tourism Law and its executive regulations. This period ended on March 25, 2023.

Those seeking to obtain a license for any tourism activity must apply through the licensing portal, which can be accessed via the following link: Tourism.sa.

Yes, a fee is required for the issuance of licenses pertaining to tourism activities and services offered by the Ministry. The applicable fee is specified in the fee table annexed to the relevant regulations governing the activity, and it may vary based on the specific activity and the corresponding services.

For further information, the Regulations and the attached fee table can be found on the Ministry website.

The requirement to provide a financial guarantee is solely applicable to travel- and tourism-service activities, and is restricted to the following categories:

•Tour Operation Category

•General Travel and Tourism Services

For further information, please refer to the service directory for Travel and Tourism Regulations on the Ministry’s website.

Several tourism activities are required to have an office headquarters to obtain a license, while others may have either an office headquarters or an electronic platform.

For further information, please refer to the service directory or list of licensable activities on the Ministry website.

Yes, various basic requirements for each tourism activity must be met to obtain a license.

For further information, please visit the licensing portal on the Ministry website .

Through one of the following channels:

• MT website.

• Unified number 930.

You can access them through the Ministry’s official website, where circulars and regulations are regularly published under the Circulars & Guidelines section to ensure transparency and ease of access for all users.

Updates are published on the Ministry’s official website and its verified social media channels, which are used to communicate any regulatory changes or important updates for stakeholders.