المملكة: “Tourism”… Beginning to oblige booking applications not to display unlicensed hospitality facilities

The Ministry of Tourism announced that it has begun obligating booking platforms and applications not to list and display tourist hospitality facilities and private tourist hospitality facilities that are not licensed by the Ministry. This is to ensure the quality of services provided to local and international tourists and visitors in all regions and cities of the Kingdom.
She confirmed that violating applications and platforms will be subject to penalties, as part of the “Our Guests are a Priority” campaign, which aims to enhance hospitality facilities’ compliance with licensing and classification standards, and ensure their compliance with the conditions and requirements set by the tourism system and its regulations.

A permit from the Ministry of Tourism is a prerequisite

She stressed the need for all tourist hospitality facilities and private tourist hospitality facilities to obtain or renew a license or permit from the Ministry of Tourism before carrying out the activity.
She explained that failure to comply with obtaining a license or permit will expose violators to penalties amounting to a fine of one million Saudi riyals, closure of the facility, or both together, in addition to defamation of the violators.

Speeding up the issuance of licenses

The Ministry, following the practices it observed of some tourist hospitality facilities and private tourist hospitality facilities, displayed its units without presenting a license or permit from the Ministry, or before obtaining the license or permit, and displayed and marketed them on local and international booking platforms and applications, by notifying all travel and tourism service providers and platforms. Local and international organizations need to quickly remove all unlicensed or authorized facilities from their lists, and match the classification received from the Ministry of Tourism for these facilities with what is displayed on the platform starting from 1/2025. 1m.
It also confirmed that these practices constitute a clear violation of the system and quality standards approved by the Ministry, calling on all beneficiaries of hospitality facilities services to submit their inquiries and comments about the services provided to them, by communicating with the Unified Center for Tourism 930.