India and Saudi Arabia signed a bilateral visa waiver agreement in Riyadh to facilitate official travels and boost bilateral exchanges under the India-Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership Council. 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.
The agreement provides mutual exemption from short-stay visa requirements for holders of diplomatic, special and official passports of both countries. Alsmari signed the agreement on behalf of Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah at the ministry’s headquarters in Riyadh.
In a statement on social media, 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.
The visa waiver is expected to streamline the movement of officials between the two countries and strengthen cooperation across various sectors under the strategic partnership framework established between India and Saudi Arabia.