RIYADH, June 9: Saudi Arabia has started issuing group visit visas to intending foreigners. The Supreme Commission for Tourism (SCT) is now issuing group visit visas, through tour operators, to foreigners, press reports said on Saturday quoting senior officials.

The SCT decided to issue tourist visas through licensed tour operators as part of its efforts to attract 1.5 million tourists a year by 2020, excluding the millions who come to perform Hajj and Umrah.

Ahmed Al-Eissa, director general for licences and quality at SCT, said tourist visas would be issued for a maximum period of 60 days.

Spelling out the conditions for obtaining tourist visas, he said tourists should come in groups of not less than five members. The minimum age for women to get visas is 30 if they are not travelling with their close relatives, he added.