KUWAIT: Saudi Arabia has started issuing tourist visas for nationals of 49 countries at various airports, Batha land border with UAE and King Fahd bridge with Bahrain, said diplomatic sources, noting that both Kuwait and Saudi Arabia are working on developing the Khafji-Nuwaiseeb and Riqee-Salmi land borders between them for the same purpose. The sources expected the development process to be concluded by the end of the year, which would give nationals of these 49 countries residing in Kuwait access to Saudi Arabia through land exits.
However, the sources stressed the umrah and hajj visas are totally different from tourist visas because they are supervised by the Saudi hajj and umrah ministry and goes through a different electronic cycle of procedures. "Saudi Arabia has started the manual issuance of the new tourist visas at its consulates abroad," the sources remarked, noting that the 49 nationalities include Europeans, Asians and Americans, and tourists from those countries will be able to issue their visas online or through modern devices at Saudi airports after paying a SR 440 fee. - Al-Rai

Hajj