Saudi Arabia allows foreign men and women to share hotel rooms

FILE PHOTO: A Saudi man walks past renovated buildings at the historic city of Diriyah, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, September 27, 2019. REUTERS/Ahmed Yosri

RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia is allowing foreign men and women to rent hotel rooms together without proving they are related, after the conservative Muslim kingdom launched a new tourist visa regime to attract holidaymakers.

Women, including Saudis, are also permitted to rent hotel rooms by themselves, in a break with previous regulations.