Saudis intending to travel to European countries need not wait for more than five days to get the Schengen visa, Prince Khaled Bin Saud Bin Khaled, Assistant Foreign Minister, said here. “Under the new arrangements, the normal visa issuing procedures will be completed within five days instead of two weeks,” he said. Prince Khaled said that the ministry has been assured by the authorities concerned in this regard. “The new arrangements for facilitating visa processing are not restricted to shortening the period of waiting but also involve simplifying the procedures and requirements for getting visas,” he said, emphasizing that priority would be given to Saudi citizens while discharging diplomatic and consular services. The Schengen visa is a “visitor visa” issued to citizens of countries who are required to obtain a visa before entering Europe. The purpose of the visit must be leisure, tourism, or business. The Schengen visa has made traveling between its 25 member countries (22 European Union states and threee non-EU members) much easier and less bureaucratic. Traveling on a Schengen visa means that the visa holder can travel to any (or all) member countries using the visa, thus avoiding the hassle and expense of obtaining individual visas for each country. This is particularly beneficial for persons who wish to visit several European countries on the same trip. Referring to the new conditions set by some countries and their recruitment offices for hiring foreign labor, Prince Khaled said that the government is giving top priority to protect the dignity of its citizens and the sovereignty of the nation. __
