The smart phone self-registration application for biological characteristics of pilgrims and Umrah performers (Saudi Visa Bio) was inaugurated in its second phase in Bangladesh. This comes in continuation of Royal directives of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, to facilitate procedures for pilgrims and Umrah performers, and upon follow ups from Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The application will enable those who apply for Hajj and Umrah visas in Bangladesh to record their biological characteristics from their places through smart phones, and they will not have to visit the visa issuance centers, which will allow issuing visas electronically. Upon arrival in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, they will have to match the results without the need to re-register their biological characteristics, which will facilitate their access through border crossings. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is considered the first country that uses registering biological characteristics for those who apply for visas through smart phones. The inauguration ceremony was attended by Saudi Ambassador to Bangladesh Issa Al-Duhailan, with the participation of the Saudi government agencies, a number of Hajj and Umrah offices, and President of the Association of Hajj in the Republic of Bangladesh Muhammad Shahadat Hossain.
