Saudi Embassy in Pakistan issues statement
The Saudi Embassy in Islamabad has declared that machine readable passports would be essential for issuance of visas for Saudi Arabia, according to an embassy statement.
The embassy asked all pilgrims and business persons, who plan visits to Saudi Arabia, to submit machine-readable passports for the issuance of visas.
It clarified that issuance of visas to Saudi Arabia for any purpose including visit, Umrah or work has not been stopped and over 350 visas were issued by the Saudi Consulate on January 26.
The visa applicants for Saudi Arabia should ensure that the visa documents are accompanied by machine readable passports, failing to which their applications would not be entertained, the statement said.
It added that due to the new regulations, the issuance of visas may have been slowed in Karachi but the process has not been stopped.