Saudi-Uruguayan travel accord to be signed soon

The Uruguayan-Saudi air travel agreement proposed during the International Civil Aviation Conference in Jeddah nearly two years ago is expected to be signed in the coming weeks by the two countries.
“If and when the air travel accord is signed, cooperation between the two countries in various sectors will be stepped up,” Uruguayan Ambassador to the Kingdom Carlos A. Mora told Arab News.
The envoy expressed hope that eventually Saudia could fly direct to his country and a Uruguayan airline could also fly directly to Saudi Arabia.
At present, four airlines — Qatari, Emirates, Etihad and Turkish airlines fly to Argentina and Brazil. From there, passengers fly to Uruguay.
The envoy said that he had just received a message from the home office that Saudi Civil Aviation had agreed to sign the agreement.
Earlier, Mora called for enhanced relations between his country and Saudi Arabia.
He said that with the accord signed, it will be easier and faster for Uruguayans to visit the Kingdom for various purposes such as trade, investment, tourism, among others, and vice versa.
He said that Uruguay could collaborate with the Kingdom in terms of food production as the former has 16 million hectares for agricultural production and raising cattle.
Asked how big his country is, he said that “Uruguay is 170,000 square kilometers.”
He added that in the wake of the signing of the air travel accord, he’ll introduce a treaty for the protection and promotion of investment both in Uruguay and Saudi Arabia.
He noted that the Kingdom also has similar agreements with other countries.