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Saudi Arabia Expands Visitor e-Visa to Eight Additional Countries 

Saudi Arabia will grant visitor e-visa to travellers from eight newly-eligible countries. (SPA)
Saudi Arabia will grant visitor e-visa to travellers from eight newly-eligible countries. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Expands Visitor e-Visa to Eight Additional Countries 

Saudi Arabia will grant visitor e-visa to travellers from eight newly-eligible countries. (SPA)
Saudi Arabia will grant visitor e-visa to travellers from eight newly-eligible countries. (SPA)

In a bid to make it easier than ever before to experience the authentic home of Arabia, Saudi Arabia will grant visitor e-visa to travellers from eight newly-eligible countries: Albania, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, South Africa, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, for leisure, business, and religious (Umrah only) travel.

Nationals of these countries can apply for a Saudi visitor visa ahead of their journey via the official e-visa portal.

The Kingdom is reimagining the tourism experience, with the famously warm and generous Saudi welcome, known as Hafawah, at the heart of its plans. The visitor e-visa is valid for an entire year, grants multiple entries, and permits a stay of up to 90 days. Visit Saudi offers an online trip planner for visitors to create custom itineraries with ease.

From visiting the Kingdom’s six UNESCO World Heritage Sites, snorkelling and diving in the Red Sea – one of the world's most spectacular undiscovered diving spots, wandering Taif's world-famous Rose Gardens, shopping like a local in Riyadh's Deira Souq, chartering the unknown on land in the lush, green Asir region and tasting Saudi Arabia’s diverse and delicious culinary scene, from fragrant Arabic dishes to internationally-renowned fine dining restaurants, there is something for everyone.

Since launching the e-visa program in 2019, Saudi Arabia has welcomed 93.5 million visits in 2022, a 93% increase compared to 2021, resulting in a tourism spend of SAR 185 billion (USD 49 billion). This rapid tourism growth is due to expanding visa initiatives, which now include 57 nations and two special administrative regions, compared to the initial 49 countries at the program's launch.

In 2022, Saudi Arabia extended regulations to provide a visitor e-visa to holders of valid Schengen, United Kingdom and United States of America visas that have been used to enter those countries before arriving in Saudi Arabia and to permanent residents of EU and Gulf Cooperation Council countries, and the UK and US.

Earlier this year, Saudi Arabia announced the launch of the free 96-hour Stopover Visa, allowing passengers to stay in the country for up to 96 hours. Stopover Visa holders will be eligible for a complimentary one-night hotel stay during the stopover when booking through SAUDIA.

Travellers can use the Stopover Visa to explore the Kingdom and perform Umrah. Religious travellers can book flights through SAUDIA and Flynas and register for Umrah through the Nusuk platform.

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Gulf

Saudi Foreign Minister Holds Phone Call with Foreign Minister II of Brunei Darussalam

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah -File Photo (Reuters)
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah -File Photo (Reuters)
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Saudi Foreign Minister Holds Phone Call with Foreign Minister II of Brunei Darussalam

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah -File Photo (Reuters)
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah -File Photo (Reuters)

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah held a phone call with Minister for Foreign Affairs II of Brunei Darussalam Dato Erywan Pehin Yusof, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Friday.

During the call, the two officials reviewed bilateral relations between their countries and discussed issues of common interest.

Gulf

King Salman Center Sets Up Camps for Displaced Gaza Residents

The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center has established the largest displacement camp in Deir al-Balah, as displaced people struggle with the impact of war and cold weather (KSrelief)
The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center has established the largest displacement camp in Deir al-Balah, as displaced people struggle with the impact of war and cold weather (KSrelief)
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King Salman Center Sets Up Camps for Displaced Gaza Residents

The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center has established the largest displacement camp in Deir al-Balah, as displaced people struggle with the impact of war and cold weather (KSrelief)
The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center has established the largest displacement camp in Deir al-Balah, as displaced people struggle with the impact of war and cold weather (KSrelief)

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) said it has set up the largest displacement camp in Deir al-Balah in Gaza, as thousands of Palestinians displaced by the war grapple with harsh winter conditions brought by a cold and rainy weather system this week.

Fahad Al-Osaimi, the center’s director of emergency relief, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the camp is sheltering more than 200 displaced families, with the number of beneficiaries exceeding 2,000 women, children and elderly people whose homes and tents were damaged or destroyed by the war and recent weather conditions.

He said the center is currently operating under a rapid response mechanism to appeals received by its operations and emergency room in the Gaza Strip.

Al-Osaimi said two fully equipped camps were completed this week, and that preparations are underway to establish several additional camps in coordination with relevant United Nations agencies, based on assessed needs on the ground.

He said the camp is playing a critical role in providing refuge to hundreds of families whose tents were flooded or collapsed due to heavy rainfall, offering safer shelter that helps mitigate humanitarian risks, particularly for children, women and the elderly.

Al-Osaimi said the center’s efforts extend beyond emergency shelter, noting that work is ongoing to establish organized camps that meet international humanitarian response standards and to ensure they are supplied with essential services.

These services include blankets, shelter materials, clothing for women and children, sanitation facilities such as toilets, hygiene kits and cleaning supplies, in addition to other forms of relief assistance as needs arise.

He said the interventions form part of KSrelief’s sustained efforts to alleviate the suffering of displaced people in the Gaza Strip and bolster their resilience amid severe humanitarian and weather conditions.

The deteriorating weather has coincided with growing uncertainty over the future of the ceasefire agreement and the possibility of moving to its second phase. According to local and international organizations, living conditions for displaced people continue to worsen.

Against this backdrop, the establishment of the largest displacement camp in Deir al-Balah marks a fresh chapter in Saudi Arabia’s emergency response to Palestinians, particularly Gaza residents, since the outbreak of the war following Oct. 7, 2023, providing lifelines to more than 2,000 people facing mounting challenges.

Gulf

Saudi Interior Minister Meets with Kazakh Counterpart

The Saudi Minister of Interior met on Thursday with his Kazakh counterpart in Riyadh. SPA
The Saudi Minister of Interior met on Thursday with his Kazakh counterpart in Riyadh. SPA
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Saudi Interior Minister Meets with Kazakh Counterpart

The Saudi Minister of Interior met on Thursday with his Kazakh counterpart in Riyadh. SPA
The Saudi Minister of Interior met on Thursday with his Kazakh counterpart in Riyadh. SPA

Saudi Minister of Interior Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz received in Riyadh on Thursday Kazakhstan’s Minister of Internal Affairs Yerzhan Sadenov.

During the meeting, they discussed ways to enhance security cooperation between the two ministries, in addition to reviewing a number of topics of mutual interest.