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Travel Weekly > Destinations > Saudi Arabia welcomes the LGBTQI+ community… kind of
Destinations

Saudi Arabia welcomes the LGBTQI+ community… kind of

Zach Havard
Published on: 5th May 2023 at 10:02 AM
Zach Havard
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1 Min Read
Cars drive past the landmark King Fahd National Library on King Fahd Road in Riyadh Saudi Arabia on a sunny day. (iStock - benedek)
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As Saudi Arabia continues its charge towards tourism dominance, authorities appear to be reaching out to an unexpected new market.

The Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) has updated its Q&A section to read, “Everyone is welcome to visit Saudi Arabia and visitors are not asked to disclose such personal details” in response to the question ‘Are LGBT visitors welcome to visit Saudi Arabia?’

An STA spokesperson said the policy had already been in place, but this question did not feature on an archived version of the website as recent as 14 March 2023.

A spokesperson for the STA said the policy had previously been in place, but an archived version of the website on March 14, 2023 and before did not have the question and answer on the page.

It is still an offence in Saudi Arabia to engage in same-sex activity according to ‘Human Rights Watch’.

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TAGGED:Human Rights WatchLGBTQIsaudi arabiaSaudi Tourism Authority
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