JAKARTA: Indonesia has warmly welcomed the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA) electronic visa facility, Indonesia’s diplomat in the Kingdom said on Wednesday, after the recent launch of the initiative in seven nations. Recently, the Saudi Foreign Ministry launched the initiative to enhance the quality of its consular services, substituting visa stickers with an electronic visa system that will permit travelers’ data to be read through a QR code.
Indonesia lauds KSA E-visa facility
The 1st phase of the new initiative has been executed in seven nations, including Indonesia and Bangladesh and the UAE, the ministry of foreign affairs said in a statement.
Eko Hartono, Indonesia’s diplomat in Jeddah, told Arab News that he appreciated the step of the Kingdom to have e-visa for several countries, and then they started with some nations like Indonesia. He said, “Of course, this is a positive measure, this is a significant measure for the government of Saudi to digitalize the mechanism of visas,”. He added “I would say the issuance of e-visas will help the movement of people his country.”
The envoy expressed hope that in the future they would find means to make it easier for visitors to get e-visas. The recent development comes as the KSA revamps visa process and eases visa rules and regulations, as it aims to attract foreign visitors and businesses men.
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), of which KSA is a member, has reportedly been in discussion to launch a “Schengen-style” visa for visitors aimed at boosting tourism in the country and the region.
