Saudis visa ease

Saudi Arabia’s decision to ease visa access for Pakistani travellers is a significant and positive development. The decision to simplify the visa requirements by reducing the minimum monthly credit amount for bank statements will undoubtedly encourage more Pakistani tourists to visit the kingdom for Umrah or to meet friends and family working there. Besides, opening new visa offices in Pakistan’s six biggest cities and offering visa on arrival facilities for some transiting passengers will also encourage more people to visit, as the Saudis continue their push to expand tourism beyond religious pilgrims.

The Saudis aim to attract about 2.7 million Pakistani tourists in 2024, which reflects the kingdom’s confidence that Pakistani travelers are a key market for tourism. The establishment of six Tasheer offices across Pakistan — offering a user-friendly experience for visa application guidance, biometric enrollment, status tracking and passport delivery — will make it easier for prospective tourists to apply for visas. It should also enhance the overall visitor experience, while also helping to familiarise people with the lesser-known scenic and historical attractions Saudi Arabia has to offer.

Furthermore, the introduction of transit visas for travelers arriving via specific airlines and the availability of a visa-on-arrival facility for those holding valid and used UK, US or Schengen visas will encourage short-term visits by thousands of passengers. One-year multiple entry visas for personal visits and Umrah are also significant because they further ease travel to the kingdom, especially for people with family there, travellers who are interested in learning more about Saudi Arabia, and even people who travel frequently for any other reason.

More tourism will also hopefully improve people-to-people ties between the two countries. An overwhelming number of Pakistanis in the kingdom are either blue-collar workers and labourers or religious pilgrims. General tourists may help show other faces of Pakistan and encourage more tourism in the opposite direction.