RIYADH – Foreign men and women always had to prove they were related ifthey wanted to shack up together in hotel in Saudi Arabia. And single Saudiwomen, who were also prohibited from renting hotel roomslinkinthe kingdom by themselves.
It has all changed now.
Saudi Arabia has decided to let foreign males and females share hotelrooms, as part of a campaign to make the kingdom more appealing toholidaymakers.
Saudi nationals will still be required to show family ID or proof ofrelationship when checking into hotels, but such documentation will not berequired for foreign tourists, the Saudi Commission for Tourism andNational Heritage confirmed. The agency added that all women, includingSaudis, can book and stay in hotels alone.
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The kingdom announced last week that it would begin accepting tourists from49 countries as part of an initiative to diversify its energy-focusedeconomy. Female visitors will not be required to cover themselveshead-to-toe, but have been instructed to dress modestly. Alcohol is stillstrictly prohibited.
Riyadh hopes the relaxed rules will attract up to 100 million touristsannually by 2030. The deeply conservative country has been slowly partingways with its more extreme laws. Last year, it ended its uniquely backwardban on women driving, e turbo news has reported.
