Saudi Arabia has introduced a new initiative called ‘Visa by Profile’, a system designed to issue instant electronic tourist visas using a traveller’s passport details and Visa-card profile. The Minister of Tourism made the announcement during a global tourism forum, and the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Saudi Tourism Authority, and Visa are jointly developing the system.
The goal is simple: to make visiting Saudi Arabia as seamless as possible while demonstrating that digital transformation can be at the centre of national growth.
A More Frictionless Entry for Travellers
The new system removes traditional visa bottlenecks. Instead of lengthy applications or manual checks, eligible travellers can receive approval within minutes. The process uses data already verified by financial institutions to confirm identity and financial solvency.
This turns a historically slow process into an almost instant digital experience. It also positions Saudi Arabia as one of the first major tourism markets to use financial profile verification for border entry.
A Shift in How Saudi Arabia Builds Its Tourism Engine
Tourism remains a central pillar of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 plans, with ambitious targets to attract tens of millions of international visitors each year. Fast-track digital entry supports this scale. When applying for a visa becomes effortless, the barrier to visiting the country drops sharply.
Saudi tourism authorities have repeatedly noted the importance of lowering friction, especially for first-time visitors. A system like this signals that the country is ready to compete with global destinations that rely heavily on simple, fully digital border systems.
Strengthening the Foundations of the Digital Economy
The deeper impact lies in how ‘Visa by Profile’ strengthens the country’s digital economy. The system requires connected databases, secure digital identity layers, and real-time verification. Each of these components reflects the maturing of Saudi Arabia’s wider digital infrastructure.
It also:
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Encourages stronger integration between financial institutions and government systems.
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Normalises the use of secure data for public services.
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Helps build trust in digital-first processes among citizens and international partners.
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Demonstrates the potential of risk-based, data-driven decision-making in government operations.
The result is a more resilient digital backbone that other sectors (health, education, mobility, and commerce) can build on.
Creating Momentum for Cross-Sector Innovation
By launching a visa system that relies on identity data, financial verification, and automated processing, Saudi Arabia sets a model for how countries can handle large movement flows using technology. This strengthens the broader fintech ecosystem, as banks and global card networks are now part of national-scale digital infrastructure.
It also generates momentum for further reform. Once travellers get used to instant entry, the expectation for seamless digital services rises. That expectation pushes innovation across airports, hospitality, retail, and entertainment.
A Modern Border Experience for a Modern Economy
The ‘Visa by Profile’ initiative is a signal of how Saudi Arabia intends to operate going forward: faster, more digital, more integrated, and more globally competitive.
If implemented at scale, the system could become a reference point for other nations trying to merge tourism growth with digital transformation. For Saudi Arabia, it sends a clear message that economic diversification will increasingly depend on how well the country can build and deploy advanced digital infrastructure, in tourism and far beyond.
