Arab News, Tuesday, May 02, 2023 | Shawwal 12, 1444
Singapore to lift entry visa requirement for Saudi citizens
Saudi Arabia: Saudi citizens will
from June 1 be able to enter Singapore without a visa, the island nation’s
embassy in Riyadh said.
Citing a statement from the Singapore Immigration
and Checkpoints Authority, the mission tweeted: “The ICA has issued the
statement: Saudi nationals with passports issued by the KSA will no longer need
to apply for an entry visa to enter Singapore from June 1, 2023.
“Other than holders of Saudi diplomatic passports,
who are already exempted from Singapore visa requirements, all other Saudi
nationals need to apply for an entry visa if they intend to enter Singapore
before June 1,” it continued.
“There is strictly no refund of the visa
processing fee for those who have already submitted or received the outcome of
their entry visa applications.”
The move comes after a Saudi-Singaporean committee
met for a second time in Singapore in November to discuss ways to boost trade
between the two countries. The Saudi delegation was led by Transport Minister
Saleh Al-Jasser.
The two sides discussed several initiatives in the
areas of transport, logistics and infrastructure, energy and industry, the
digital economy, investment and finance, tourism and culture.
Al-Jasser also took part in a panel discussion
organized by the Singapore Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry,
during which he stressed the importance of business leaders’ role in driving
economy and trade.
He also met his Singaporean counterpart S Iswaran
on the sidelines of the meeting and signed two memorandums of understanding in
the field of transport.
Last week Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro also
lifted their entry visa requirements for Saudi citizens until the end of the
year, the Kingdom’s embassy in Albania said. Kazakhstan also offers visa-free
entry for Saudi citizens.