Tag Archives: KSA

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia aims to become a world leader in sustainable travel, not only by protecting its beautiful ecosystems but actively regenerating them for future generations to enjoy. Hailed as the world’s most ambitious regenerative tourism development, Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Project will be entirely carbon neutral from its first day of operation, which CEO John Pagano hopes will inspire the wider industry to follow suit in embracing practices that protect the state of our planet. “We are setting the bar very high because our consumers will demand it and forcing others to follow our lead,” said Pagano, who also heads AMAALA, speaking at a World Majlis event panel during Dubai Expo 2020’s Travel and Connectivity Week, which concluded on January 15. The Red Sea Project and AMAALA are sister projects set along the north-western coast of Saudi Arabia. Pagano said factors such as the Covid-19 pandemic and outspoken climate activists have served as a wake-up call to re-evaluate the direction our world is taking. For Saudi Arabia, this means stepping up efforts to future-proof giga developments such as those on the Red Sea. “Sustainability is more expensive, at least today, but competition will ultimately drive cost down, making sustainability more available,” he added. Though Pagano conceded that this approach requires larger upfront investments, he noted that it is nonetheless a price worth paying as there is no choice but to change course to secure the future of the planet. He stressed that the Saudi leadership backs this view as illustrated by its support for The Red Sea Project, which he called the largest tourism venture on the planet to be powered solely by renewable energy. As a …

VFS Global has announced that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed with the Jazan Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Jazan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) to provide end-to-end visa and passport concierge services. Moving forward, the Chamber’s members will benefit from the availability of these services on its premises, providing ease, convenience and ensuring they do not have to visit a Visa Application Centre. Ahmad M. Abo Hadi, Chairman of Jazan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mohammed Shahid Alam, Consul General of India in Jeddah inaugurated the office on 8 June 2021 in the presence of Mr Sumanth Kapoor, Regional Head – KSA, Bahrain and Oman, VFS Global. During the inauguration ceremony, Ahmad M. Abo Hadi, Chairman of Jazan Chamber of Commerce and Industry said, “We are happy that we can rely on VFS Global to ensure our members receive safe and secure passport and visa services they need all within the premises.” “The opening of VFS Global concierge at Jazan Chamber of Commerce is a momentous step and would go a long way in delivering fast and efficient consular services at the doorsteps of our India nationals especially during the period of pandemic. “said Mohammed Shahid Alam, Consul General of India. “This announcement represents our latest contribution towards the Kingdom’s sustainability agenda, and the presence of VFS Global’s concierge service in the Jazan Chamber will enable its members to further concentrate their efforts towards economic and social development contributions. We are delighted to be working alongside the Chambers and look forward to assisting its members with the services we provide,” added Sumanth Kapoor, Regional Head – KSA & Bahrain, VFS Global.

To provide efficient passport renewal services to a vast population of Filipino nationals living in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), The Republic of the Philippines has extended their collaboration with VFS Global for five years by signing a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) on 7 May 2021 in an official ceremony that was held in Manila, Philippines. KSA is one of the countries in the Middle East with the highest concentration of Filipino workers. To enhance customer experience and provide greater accessibility to customers in the KSA, the DFA outsourced the administrative and non-discretionary task of the passport renewal process to VFS Global in 2019. Subsequently, three Philippine ePassport Renewal Centres were launched in Riyadh, Jeddah and Al Khobar in October 2020. Prior to the launch of ePassport Renewal Centres, Philippine residents in the Kingdom had to visit the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh or the Consulate in Jeddah for passport renewal. Customers now have an additional avenue to complete the process. In addition to the Centres in KSA, VFS Global also operates two ePassport Renewal Centres located in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, which are also part of MoA extension. Upon signing the agreement, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Brigido J. Dulay said, “Partnering with an established outsourcing champion like VFS Global enabled the DFA to multiply its presence in the Middle East at zero cost to the Philippine government. With the renewal, we can now look at widening and implementing similar service centres in other countries.” Attending the virtual signing ceremony, Chris Dix, Head of Business Development, VFS Global, quoted, “On behalf of VFS Global, I would like to thank the Department …

New research from global traveller experiences expert Collinson has found that in the future, 76% of travellers in the UAE and 80% in KSA have said they’ll be prioritising their mental wellbeing more when they travel now than they did before COVID-19. Despite there being a pent up demand for travel in the region, the majority of travellers (62% in the UAE and 67% in KSA) think travel post-pandemic will be more stressful in the current climate. When asked what travel brands could do to help the situation, in both countries, 38% of travellers said they would value propositions from providers that prioritise their mental wellbeing. Travellers also highlighted additional services that they would be willing to pay for to improve their wellbeing at the airport. These included spaces such as airport lounge access, as many as 37% would pay for this in KSA whilst 30% of UAE respondents would pay for a quiet place in which to sit and relax. 18% in the UAE and 28% in KSA have also said they would pay extra for access to airport sleep pods. Priyanka Lakhani, Director South Asia and Commercial Director Middle East and Africa at Collinson said, “In the context of travel during Covid-19, it’s often the conversation around physical wellbeing that has dominated so it’s very insightful to understand more about the importance passengers in the region place on the emotional and mental wellbeing aspects of their journey. While hygiene measures are critical, looking after travellers’ all-round wellness across the travel experience will be just as important and will help the travel industry shape its offering to encourage and rebuild traveller confidence. The travel industry needs to stay flexible, …

Oman Air resumed flights to Riyadh KSA, operating 4 flights per week. Flights to Dammam KSA resumed on 28 March 2021, operating 4 flights per week. The airline will maintain its comprehensive safety program throughout all elements of the travel journey to ensure that guests fly confidently. Masks are required when guests are onboard the aircraft and in Oman’s airports. Distancing is maintained while guests board and exit the aircraft, which are carefully cleaned after each flight and at the end of every day. Cabin crew all wear a full set of personal protective equipment, meal service has been modified to further ensure safety, and a number of other measures have been implemented to ensure that the airline’s guests and crew are safe at all times. Guests who are planning to travel to Muscat should visit the Civil Aviation Authority website, caa.gov.om, to ensure they are prepared to comply with requirements to enter the Sultanate. Guests travelling to KSA should ensure they are aware of official requirements to enter or transit through the country. Guests departing from Oman should also ensure that they are aware of all pre-departure requirements and requirements during their flights, which are provided at omanair.com.

Offering the residents of KSA the perfect getaway, Ascott welcomes family and friends to a luxurious retreat at Ascott Corniche Al Khobar. Part of the brand’s prestigious portfolio, the property is locally popular for its exclusive serviced apartments and recreational facilities that include a swimming pool, gymnasium, restaurant, guest lounge and business facilities. Offering studios, one-, two-, and three-bedrooms, the serviced property is located steps away from the picturesque and tranquil corniche. Guests are welcome to step into Ascott Corniche Al Khobar for a pampering stay and step out for a calm stroll along the serene corniche. To uplift confidence and safety, the property is accredited with the renowned Bureau Veritas certificate in line with the brand’s Ascott Cares initiative.

Saudi Arabia is set to reopen its borders to international travellers, although the relaxation across the kingdom comes with strict coronavirus safety guidelines, according to a report by Saudi Press Agency (SPA). Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s government also decided lifting the precautionary measures related to the spread of a new variant of coronavirus (Covid-19) in a number of countries, regarding the suspension of all international flights for travellers, entry to the Kingdom through its land and sea ports. Taking into consideration the following: Entry into the Kingdom for non-citizens coming from the United Kingdom and South Africa, as well as from any other country being specified by the Ministry of Health, in which the new variant of the novel coronavirus (B. 1, 1, 7) is spread, shall be provided that whoever wishes to enter shall spend a period of no less than (14) days outside the country in which the new coronavirus variant (B. 1, 1, 7) is spread before entering the Kingdom, with a (PCR) examination after the expiration of this period, proving that he/she is COVID-19 infection-free. Citizens who are allowed to enter into the Kingdom for humanitarian and urgent cases coming from countries where the new coronavirus variant (B. 1, 1, 7) is spread, shall be quarantined, pursuant to paragraph (1 ) above, in their homes under observance for a period of (14) days, with two (PCR) examinations of the first shall be carried out after arrival within no more than (48) hours and the second before ending the quarantine on the 13th day. As for the countries in which cases of the strain (B. 1, 1, 7) were registered, those coming from them shall be quarantined …

To ease the passport renewal process for Indian citizens residing in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), the Embassy/ Consulate of India in KSA has unified efforts with VFS Global, to organise scattered tours to collect passport renewal applications from Indian communities residing in the remote locations of the eastern and western regions of the Kingdom.

Sabre hosted a dedicated webinar for travel players in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the region to discuss the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on travel, its challenges and opportunities and how the industry is recovering from the crisis. Sabre Corporation (NASDAQ: SABR), is the leading software and technology provider that powers the global travel industry.The virtual event, which brought together executives and decision makers from travel companies and travel associations, highlighted market performance over the past few months and the role of technology to power its recovery. “As we enter a period of recovery from COVID-19, travel players need to look into new ways to operate in this new environment of uncertainty and continuous change,” said Abdul-Razzaq Iyer, vice president, Sabre Travel Network Middle East (STNME). “Equipping travel companies with the right solutions – such as artificial intelligence-based applications, that can automate processes, intelligent data analytics and virtual payments solutions – is essential in powering travel companies to navigate through the current challenges.” “Travel agencies play a vital role in rebuilding travellers’ trust and confidence,” Iyer added. “Travellers have a new definition of personalisation that involves new requirements and expectations for health and safety standards. They expect accurate and reliable information on travel restrictions and regulations during their planning phase. We are working closely with our customers to identify the best intelligent solutions and travel safety-related products to help them respond to travellers’ new demands and expectations.” “Saudi travel has proved to be a resilient industry,” said Faisal Kayal, Country Manager KSA, STNME. “We have seen strong market recovery compared to many countries regionally and globally, due to effective planning for the return of domestic travel and …

In a bid to ease the passport renewal process for Philippine nationals living in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), The Republic of the Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs and VFS Global have signed a contract to provide Passport Renewal services in Riyadh, Jeddah and Al Khobar. All three centres have started to accept passport renewal requests from Saturday to Thursday between 08:00 AM to 08:00 PM. This is the first time The Republic of the Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs has outsourced its passport renewal process in KSA. Prior to this, Philippine residents in the KSA had to visit the Philippine Consulate in Jeddah or the Embassy in Riyadh for passport renewal. With the opening of the new ePassport Renewal Centres, customers will have an additional avenue to complete the process. Chris Dix, Head of Business Development, VFS Global, said, “We would like to thank The Republic of the Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs for their faith in us. Our Passport and Consular services have been growing from strength to strength, and we look forward to bringing those best in class services to the Philippines nationals here in the Kingdom.”