Saudi Arabian authorities recently revealed the intention of eliminating visa stickers for some countries, Pakistan is also included in the list. this is an important revelation concerning their visa policy. The kingdom’s persistent efforts to update and advance its visa process are reflected in this selection. Although this modification has already been put into operation for a number of countries, the new list of nations that will gain from it includes Sri Lanka, Kenya, and others.

Updated Visa Holder Countries

The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA)of Saudi Arabia issued a notice to all the concerned airlines for replacing the stickers for visit, residency, and labor visas that are usually issued by the Saudi embassy. The countries that are about to acquire this mission include Pakistan, Kenya, Lebanon, Morocco, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Turkiye, Yemen, Uganda, Vietnam, and Thailand. The traditional sticker has been scraped out and a printed e-visa highlighting the tourist’s data has been added, while its legitimacy is confirmed via the Quick Response (QR) code. Saudi Arabia stopped using traditional visa stickers from some countries earlier this year. These countries include Egypt, Bangladesh, Jordan, India, Philippines, Indonesia, and UAE.

The official timeframe provided by the government is stating that visa stickers would be eliminated gradually during 2023. The following schedule will be obeyed for 12 countries;

Saudi Towards Innovations

This action is a part of Saudi Arabia’s larger effort to strengthen its diplomatic network while also modernizing its visa system. With a vision of connecting more than 100 countries worldwide by 2030, Saudi Arabia has just launched a new airline called Riyadh Air in an effort to redefine the tourism and travel industry within its borders. Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman, who wants to increase the kingdom’s impact in the area through soft power, is in the lead of the technological advancement push.

As Saudi Arabia is home to the sacred sites of Makkah and Medina, it has huge religious importance from all over the world. Throughout the year, religious travelers visit the holy sites to perform Umrah and Hajj. To facilitate attendees, the kingdom has introduced Nusuk, a digital platform to provide information to all travelers. There was a huge increase in pilgrims as soon as pandemic boundaries were uplifted. In 2022, more than 2.3 million pilgrims performed Hajj. Keeping in view public health, the kingdom allowed only fully vaccinated people.

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QR Code Significance

Quick Response Code is a digital payment mode that works by scanning and it does not require any cash or card. QR Codes provide many advantages over traditional payment methods;

It only requires Smartphone

Gone are the days, when you have to travel with a heavy amount in your pocket. Now the world is digital and you only need your smartphone to save all your travel, visa, and monetary information.

Offers Security Checks

Digitally encrypted payments require verification and permission in order to be processed. That implies that no transaction can be started until it has the approval of both the customer and the business.

Benefits to Issuers

It offers cardholders an easy and quick way for payment that results in more card usage. It enhances customer loyalty along with improvement in overall performance. It also provides a more secure way.

Gains to Acquirers

It offers merchants an easy way to take their deposits. This enables them to enhance transactions and sales contributions. It also boosts your merchant relationship with others.

Bottom Line

This forward-thinking strategy corresponds with Saudi Arabia’s larger goal of evolving into a more welcoming and tourist-friendly location, encouraging revenue generation and cross-cultural dialogue. Under Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman’s direction, the nation is undergoing more positive transformation, but it is still committed to embracing innovation and elevating Saudi Arabia to a leading position worldwide in the travel and tourism sector.

The state wants to expand its economy beyond oil by attracting more foreign tourists. According to travel minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb, 2.5 million tourists visited Saudi Arabia in February while a total of 2.4 million in January. This year, the kingdom expects to welcome 25 million foreign visitors.