ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have signed an agreement to remove visa requirements for holders of diplomatic, official and special passports, announced Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar in a post on X early Tuesday morning.
The statement said that the Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar signed the agreement with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York.
He hoped that the step would “further facilitate high-level engagement and institutional exchanges, and contribute to advancing our enduring and brotherly strategic partnership across all areas of mutual interest,” the statement added.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia share brotherly relations, translated into frequent high-level diplomatic exchanges on both sides.
The two countries, along with Türkiye, signed a joint defense agreement on Aug 7 known as the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, pledging to strengthen collective security, deepen defense cooperation and promote peace and stability in the region and beyond.
Later that month, Islamabad and Riyadh agreed to boost Pakistani agricultural and food exports to the Gulf state up to $3 billion. The agreement was reached during the visit of a Saudi delegation led by Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Engineer Abdulrahman Al-Fadley.
In July, Saudi Arabia also launched a multiple-entry Umrah visa valid for one year from the date of issuance, enabling pilgrims to enter the kingdom multiple times, with a cumulative stay of up to 90 days each year.
In 2024, in another relief, Riyadh eased tourist visa requirements for Pakistani travelers, allowing them to submit a bank statement showing a minimum monthly credit amount of $750 or its equivalent.