China grants Approved Destination Status to Saudi Arabia

The People's Republic of China officially granted Saudi Arabia the Approved Destination Status (ADS), through a bilateral agreement signed today, Sept. 26, allowing Chinese citizens to travel to Saudi Arabia in group tours and facilitating greater ease of access to the Kingdom, Saudi Press Agency reported.

Receiving the ADS is a significant milestone for Saudi Arabia that will drive greater connectivity between the Kingdom and China and unlock new opportunities across the tourism ecosystem.

The announcement came after continued bilateral ties between both nations, including the success of the Arab-China Business Conference and the Saudi-China Roadshow earlier this year, demonstrating Saudi Arabia's commitment to become an economic and strategic partner to China.

Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al Khateeb said, "The ADS status is expected to significantly boost inbound travel from China, creating greater ease of access needed to reach Saudi Arabia's target of attracting three million Chinese tourists by 2030.