Until very recently, Saudi Arabia was uncharted territory for tourists but following the September launch of its new visa entry system, 50,000 foreign travellers have taken their first steps into the Kingdom.

Where are they coming from? Britain, according to officials, followed by China.

“We are expecting that the adventurous will come first to explore the country, and this is what is happening,” said Ahmed Al-Khateeb, chairman of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage in an interview this week.

In addition to the visits so far, around 140,000 tourist visas have been requested, a figure "in line with our expectations,'' Al-Khateeb remarked. The chairman was speaking in Riyadh at an event to launch Diriyah Gate, a £13bn regeneration of the Saudi royal family's hometown that aims to attract a wealth of visitors.

The UK and China – which has seen an enormous rise in the number of its citizens travelling overseas in recent years – are two of the 49 countries now eligible for e-visas, a key part of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, the brainchild of crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, who wants tourism to account for 10 per cent of the country’s GDP, up from three per cent.