‘Thousands of Saudis expected to visit Jordan this spring’

AMMAN — Hisham Al Khaldi, a Saudi national, wrote on his Facebook page that he and his family will spend a 10-day spring holiday in Jordan.

Jordanian engineer Mahmoud Zu’bi, who is based in Jeddah, said he will also be heading back home to spend the vacation with his family. 

Khaldi and Zu’bi are among thousands of Saudis and Jordanian expatriates who are expected to come to the Kingdom during the spring break, which starts in Saudi Arabia on Thursday and continues through March 19. 

The annual 10-day spring holiday is known as the second semester break for schools in the Gulf kingdom. 

An official at the Jordan Customs Department (JCD) told The Jordan Times on Saturday that the agency is ready to receive “thousands” of vacationers coming from Saudi Arabia through the border crossings of Omari and Mudawarah. 

The official, who requested anonymity, said hundreds of cars usually cross into Jordan from Saudi Arabia at this time of the year, adding that most vacationers are residents of areas in the north of Saudi Arabia such as Tabuk, Hail and Arar, which are close to the Jordanian border.

“Many Jordanians working in Saudi Arabia also come to enjoy the beautiful spring in Jordan,” the JCD official said. 

According to Saudi media, Jordan is among the preferred destinations for Saudi holidaymakers, along with Dubai and Bahrain. 

Travellers from Saudi Arabia represent the largest number of tourists during summer, as official figures show that over 1 million visitors come to Jordan every year. 

According to JCD figures, 195,226 cars entered Jordan from Saudi Arabia in June and July of last year through the Omari and Mudawarah border crossings.