‘Thousands of Saudis, expats expected to cross into Jordan this weekend for spring break’

AMMAN — Thousands of Saudis and Jordanians working in the Gulf kingdom are expected to come to Jordan this weekend to spend a 10-day holiday here, according to a border official. 

The spring break, also known as the second semester break for schools in Saudi Arabia, starts this Friday, and Saudi families usually head to Jordan during this period. 

An official at the Omari Border Crossing between Jordan and Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday said  the authorities are gearing up to receive large numbers of visitors who are expected to start arriving in the Kingdom as of Thursday. 

The official, who preferred to remain unnamed because he was not authorised to speak to the media, told The Jordan Times over the phone that hundreds of cars enter through the border crossing at this time every year.

“Jordan is a preferred destination for Saudis during this holiday,” the border official said.

Travellers from Saudi Arabia constitute the largest number of tourists to Jordan, with an estimated 1 million people entering the Kingdom by land, according to official figures. 

Last summer, 154,920 cars entered the Kingdom from Saudi Arabia through the Omari Border Crossing. 

Official figures estimate the number of Jordanian expatriates at around 750,000, the majority of whom live in the Gulf states.

Over 300,000 Jordanian professionals are based in Saudi Arabia, followed by the UAE with nearly 200,000.