Saudi Arabia: Expats can tie the knot on transit visa

Cairo: A foreign resident in Saudi Arabia can conduct his marriage contract at a court or get it approved in case the wife arrives at the kingdom on a visit or a transit visa, the Saudi Ministry of Justice has said.

Still, the husband and the wife’s father must be residents in Saudi Arabia, the ministry said, according to Okaz newspaper.

The marriage contract can also be authenticated via the ministry’s Najiz portal in case the married couple arrive in the kingdom on visit visas, the report said.

“This service can be benefited via Najiz, but to have it completely processed, all parties must be registered at the Absher platform,” it added.

In recent years, Saudi Arabia has vigorously shifted to digitalisation, a trend expedited by the restrictions prompted by the global COVID-19 epidemic.

In 2013, the kingdom’s Interior Ministry launched the Absher app, which gives Saudi citizens and foreign residents access to a variety of government services. The scope of the services has since largely expanded, including applying for jobs and renewing passports, residency cards and driving licences.

Last November, the Saudi Ministry of Justice introduced 11 new judicial e-services into Najiz, bringing to over 150 the total services available through the portal.

The new services included verifying attorney’s law practice licence, checking the validity of powers of attorney during litigation, and viewing attachments on Najiz, the official Saudi news agency SPA reported.

Saudi Arabia, a country of around 34.8 million people, is home to a large community of migrant workers.