The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) will begin the procurement of a global network of Biometric Visa Service Centers this summer, according to a press release issued by MOFA here today. The Visa Service Centers will be established and operated commercially by one or more companies under the supervision of MOFA and Embassies abroad. The Centers will provide both application handling services and biometric enrolment for visa applicants in principal cities around the world from 2010. Biometrics, including fingerprints and a facial image, will be required for all types of visas for entry to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Prince Khalid Bin Saud Bin Khalid, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs said: "This important initiative aims to improve both the security of Saudi Arabia and the service received by visa applicants. Working in conjunction with the Ministry of Interior, the recording of biometric data from applicants will further strengthen our ability to ensure that only authorized travelers can use visas to enter the Kingdom. At the same time, the Visa Service Centers will provide a consistently high quality and affordable service to travelers enabling rapid biometric enrolment and a better service in document handling on behalf of our Embassies."
