Indian embassy in Riyadh launches online visa services

In an effort to ensure hassle-free travel of Saudi nationals, India has launched online visa services for those intending to visit the country for tourist, business and other purposes.

Visas will be normally issued on the third working day except in cases which require detailed procedural formalities and clearances, the Indian embassy here said in a statement yesterday.

The services can be accessed from the embassy website.

India and Saudi Arabia share a strategic partnership focusing on political, economic, security and defence areas. Saudi Arabia is one of India's major sources of energy and an important trading partner with a bilateral trade of more than $43 billion in 2012-13.

In the first six months of 2013-14 (April-Sept), bilateral trade has already reached $25 billion. Saudi Arabia is also a major source of remittances to India.

"It is important that we work towards further strengthening our political, economic and security engagement with this country and also deepen our people-to-people exchanges, every day," Indian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Hamid Ali Rao said in a recent speech.