RIYADH, 6 Oct 2019:
Saudi Arabia is now allowing unmarried foreign couples to share hotel rooms, authorities announced today.
Women, including Saudis, also no longer need a male guardian to book and stay in hotels.
The Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage said on Twitter that all Saudi nationals were required to show proof of relationship upon checking into hotels, while tourists are asked to show their passports.
All couples had to have a marriage certificate in order to rent a hotel room in the kingdom.
On Sept 27, the ultra-conservative kingdom took a major step in opening up to the world by authorising the issuance of tourist visas to citizens of 49 countries – including the US, nations that are part of Europe’s Schengen Area, Australia, Japan, South Korea, South Africa, Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan.
It also stated female visitors from other countries would not be required to wear the abaya, a body-shrouding robe that all local women must wear in public.
Foreign women will still need to dress “modestly,” said Ahmed al-Khatib, the chairman of the board of directors of the tourism commission.
Saudi Arabia has unveiled a series of public conduct rules that include fines for 19 types of infraction, including playing loud music in residential neighbourhoods, not picking up pet waste and spitting in the street.
Most of these behaviours were already prohibited in Saudi Arabia but no specific punishment had been laid out and the decision had been left to judges.
All of the projects form part of the Saudi Vision 2030 programme, which was unveiled by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman and is aimed at reducing the kingdom’s dependence on oil.
– EFE