New Delhi, April 15 -- The Indian Embassy in Kuwait issued an announcement, on Wednesday, stating that the facilitation process of Saudi transit visas for Indians would be suspended forthwith, as the
country is now preparing for the Hajj season.
As per the notification issued by the mission, stated, ".the arrangement, whereby application for Saudi Transit Visa was submitted via the embassy, has been suspended forthwith."
Moreover, as per the directive, any Indian citizens who plan to take flights through Saudi Arabia need to contact their airlines for all details regarding immigration requirements and other formalities related to transit and visas prior to arranging their travel.
Additionally, the embassy mentioned that it would not be accepting any new applications for transit visas to Saudi Arabia using the previous system.
Importantly, the decision, especially, comes against the backdrop of both the upcoming Hajj season and
heightened geopolitical tensions across West Asia, particularly involving Saudi Arabia and Iran.
Every year, prior to the Hajj, Saudi Arabia implements a much stricter visa policy for travelers coming into the country from all parts of the globe. It involves more stringent checks on transit and short-term visas in an effort to avoid overstaying in Saudi Arabia and to ensure that no strain is placed on the country's logistical infrastructure.
This year, amid the fragile security environment in West Asia - especially the recent escalation between Iran and its regional adversaries - has led to periodic disruptions in airspace use, heightened surveillance, and stricter immigration checks across key transit hubs.
As an influential country in the region, Saudi Arabia has taken a relatively conservative approach to cross-border travel as there were issues related to security risks, illegal immigration, and improper usage of transit visas at a particularly crucial time.
Flights that go through regions where conflicts might be arising require regular updates on advice given to airlines.
Countries such as India, which have a sizeable diaspora population in the Gulf region, along with heavy passenger traffic from West Asian airports, would have found themselves compelled to adapt to the new reality of increased decentralisation, where the airlines handle visa and transit processing.
As explained by diplomatic corridor, the move to suspend embassies' role in processing transit visas is purely out of caution and is meant to prevent any form of confusion that might arise due to the fast-paced changes taking place in immigration policies.
Airlines still maintain direct connections with the Saudi immigration system.
The status quo will continue until the end of the Hajj season when regular visa facilitation procedures can be evaluated according to the security situation and demand for travel.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.