Hongkongers to enjoy visa-on-arrival access to Saudi Arabia from Wednesday
City leader John Lee also reveals that period for visa-free stays for Saudi nationals visiting Hong Kong will be extended from 30 days to 90
Hong Kong passport holders will enjoy visa-on-arrival access to Saudi Arabia through six designated control points starting on Wednesday, the city leader has said.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu also said on Tuesday that the period for visa-free stays for Saudi nationals in Hong Kong would be extended from 30 days to 90, effective from Wednesday.
“[The new policy] means Hong Kong passport holders can benefit from the convenience of visa-on-arrival or visa-free treatment when visiting all six Gulf Cooperation Council [GCC] countries: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman,” he said before a meeting of the city’s top decision-making Executive Council.
The designated control points are at airports at Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Medina as well as land ports at King Fahd Bridge and Al Bathaa, according to the Immigration Department.
A department spokesman said Saudi Arabia was on the belt and road and the extension of the visa-free period for its nationals would “enhance tourism, and cultural and economic ties between the two places”.
The Belt and Road Initiative is China’s plan to grow global trade.
In 2023, the number of arrivals in Hong Kong from the GCC market was 9,743, about 47 per cent of the 2019 pre-pandemic level of 20,520, according to Tourism Board data.
