Saudi Arabia is fully China-ready with new direct flights, customised products, and strategic partnerships, said Fahd Hamidaddin, chief executive officer of the Saudi Tourism Authority.

Riyadh, a key Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) partner, seeks to receive three million visitors from China by 2030 after being granted approved destination status (ADS) by China, the Beijing-based CGTN news channel reported.

The bilateral agreement allows Chinese citizens to travel to Saudi Arabia in group tours and offers them greater ease of access to the country.

"To get ADS, we had to be ready from accessibility and easy visas. Our visa platform today offers electronic visas to all Chinese," Hamidaddin said.

(Writing by P Deol; Editing by Anoop Menon)

(anoop.menon@lseg.com)

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