TBM Staff - Mumbai Indian citizens will no longer require police clearance to get a visa for Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Embassy in New Delhi announced Thursday, reports Divya A for The Indian Express.
In a statement, the Embassy said Indian nationals applying for a visa will now be exempt from submitting a Police Clearance Certificate or PCC.
The decision, it added, was taken in view of “the strong relations and strategic partnership” between India and the Gulf Kingdom, and efforts by the two countries to strengthen their ties.
“The Embassy appreciates the contribution of over two million Indian citizens living peacefully in the kingdom,” the statement said.
The move will enable faster processing of applications.
In 2019, during a one-day trip to New Delhi, Saudi crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman had said ties between India and Saudi “go back a long way”.
During the royal visit, the Kingdom also increased India’s Hajj quota, making it the second-highest among all countries that send pilgrims to Mecca for the annual pilgrimage. That year, the number of Indian Hajj pilgrims rose to 200,000. (Source: The Indian Express)
