The German Embassy in Riyadh said it has issued 20,000 visas during the first five months of the year, constituting a nearly 100 percent increase in visas issued compared to the same period last year as a result of the implementation of procedures by the embassy to ease the visa process for Saudi citizens.
"It is our aim to further broaden people-to-people contacts between our two countries, and I think we are on the right track," Germany's Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Dieter W. Hatter said.
Beginning in July, the German Consulate in Jeddah will be responsible for processing visa applications in the Western region with the embassy further considering opening another Visa Application Center in Alkhobar to serve the Eastern Province.
"We have streamlined and expedited our procedures substantially and are granting much more longterm multiple entry visas to Saudi citizens to travel to Germany and are determined to continually improve our services to Saudi citizens," Hatter explained.
Besides the tourism industry, trade relations between the two countries have drastically improved with bilateral trade amounting to SR 37.5 billion ($ 10 billion) in 2011 and additional increases during the first-quarter of 2012.
Since January, approximately 12 private sector delegations from Germany have visited the Kingdom. In addition, Saudi Arabia participated for the first time with a pavilion at the largest international fair in Europe, the Hanover Fair.
Lufthansa, the German national carrier has 24 flights a week from Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam increasing its transport capacity to the Kingdom considerably in addition to flights also being facilitated by Saudi Arabian Airlines.
German Embassy eases visa process for Saudis
