China grants visa-free entry to Saudi travelers

Saudi tourists can enter China without a visa.
The official Xinhua news agency said on Wednesday that visitors from Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, and Bahrain will be able to enter China without a visa for 30 days as a test.

Mao Ning, a spokesman for China’s Foreign Ministry, told reporters that the new policy will start on June 9, 2025, and end on June 8, 2026. Mao said that people with passports from those four countries would be able to visit China for business, pleasure, to see sights, to see family or friends, to exchange goods, or just to get from one place to another.

All Gulf Cooperation Council countries can now visit China without a visa. Since 2018, China has had the same policy with the UAE and Qatar.

Mao said, “We welcome more friends from the GCC countries to take a last-minute trip to China.”

Saudi Arabia used to have Approved Destination Status with the East Asian country. This status ended on July 1, 2024. This two-way deal let tourists from both countries visit the other in groups. News of the deal is the latest step toward better relations between the two countries. Vision 2030 for Saudi Arabia wants to get 5 million Chinese tourists every year by the end of the decade.

They also trade a lot with each other; in fact, China’s biggest business partner in the Gulf is the Kingdom.