A new chapter has been added to India-Saudi Arabia relations with the signing of a visa exemption agreement that allows certain passport holders to travel without the requirement of a short-stay visa. India and Saudi Arabia on Thursday signed a bilateral visa waiver agreement in Riyadh to facilitate official travels and boost bilateral exchanges under the India-Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership Council.
India inks visa waiver agreement with Saudi Arabia
The agreement was signed by Indian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Suhel Ajaz Khan and Abdulmajeed bin Rashed Alsmari, deputy minister for protocol affairs at the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It has been named the Saudi-India visa exemption agreement and aimed at facilitating smoother official engagements and strengthening bilateral ties between the two countries.
The agreement provides mutual exemption from short-stay visa requirements for holders of diplomatic, special and official passports of both countries. This agreement has been made to overcome bureaucratic hurdles. This marks a new milestone in diplomatic relations between New Delhi and Riyadh. In a statement on X, the Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia said the agreement aims to enhance the strategic partnership between the two nations. “The agreement will facilitate official travels and boost bilateral exchanges under the India-Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership Council,” the embassy stated.
قام سعادة سفير جمهورية الهند الدكتور سهيل اعجاز خان وسعادة وكيل وزارة الخارجية لشؤون المراسم الأستاذ عبد
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These passport holders to benefit
The visa waiver is expected to ease official travel between the two countries and enhance cooperation across multiple sectors under the India–Saudi Arabia strategic partnership framework. The agreement does not apply to ordinary tourists or business travelers. The waiver is for holders of specific types of passports, including diplomatic passports, special passports (often issued to high-ranking government officials), and official passports (for civil servants traveling on official business).
How will this benefit them?
Holders of these passports will now be able to enter each other’s countries for short periods without needing to apply for a visa in advance. This will make travel for official business and diplomatic engagements faster and easier.
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