Indians no longer need police clearance certificate for Saudi visa
To much respite for the thousands aspiring to get visas for Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Embassy in New Delhi, has announced that Indians do not need police clearance certificates anymore. The certificate would earlier constitute an important part of the visa application for the country. The announcement was made on Thursday while referring to strong relations and strategic partnerships between the two countries.
Why does this story matter?
The decision will facilitate thousands of people in India who are planning to go to the job-rich country. India contributes to the country's workforce by more than 25 lakh and thus stands at the top, followed by Syria and Pakistan respectively. The decision has come months after Saudi slammed India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party over a comment on Prophet Mohammad by its ex-spokesperson Nupu.
The decision would help fast processing of applications
The decision to do away with the clearance certificate will help in the immediate processing of applications. While appreciating the contribution of Indians, the embassy in India said that the decision to scrap the necessity of a police clearance certificate was taken "in view of the strong relations and strategic partnership between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Republic of India.
Here is what the Saudi embassy in India says
The Saudi prince was scheduled to visit India last week
Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), Mohammed bin Salman, was scheduled to visit India on Sunday before heading to Bali for G20 Summit. He canceled the program which was not though officially announced due to "schedule issues" at the summit. The visit was on an invitation made in September by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Saudi creating jobs beyond the workforce
The decision to relax formalities to obtain a Saudi visa has come when Saudi is "pushing technology as a key driver of the transformation." The country is spending $24.7 billion on a slew of deals to boost its high-tech ambitions. Investment has become the highest by any government in the world. Jobs in the country will go unfulfilled by 2025, experts say.
