Dubai: GCC residents are soon expected to be able to visit Saudi Arabia visa-free for business, tourism, and umrah purposes.
According to a report in the business news portal Trends, Saudi Arabia will soon launch visa-free travel system for all GCC residents with a valid resident and work visa issued by the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, and Qataris immigration authorities.
Sources from the Kingdom’s Ministry of Tourism told the magazine the draft law for the new scheme is ready and will be officially announced within days.
Under the new visa scheme, expats with valid residency and work visas will be allowed entry into Saudi Arabia for business, tourism, and umrah purposes, with the exception of Hajj.
However, according to the report, there might be some exceptions for certain visa categories, such as maid’s visa or construction worker’s visa. Professionals, white-collar workers, and other residents with regular income will likely be allowed to travel to Saudi Arabia visa-free.
Last week, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al Khateeb announced during a TV interview that Saudi Arabia will soon introduce a new visa scheme for GCC residents.
Al Khateeb stressed that the tourist visas launched by the Kingdom in 2019 still exist and there were no specific restrictions for those coming for tourism.
