Pakistan, Saudi Arabia Sign Visa Waiver Deal for Officials
NEW YORK, UNITED STATES — WEB DESK: Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have signed an agreement abolishing visa requirements for holders of diplomatic and official or special passports, in a move aimed at making high-level official travel and institutional exchanges easier between the two countries.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan signed the agreement in New York on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, according to Pakistani state media and multiple current reports.
Dar announced the agreement publicly, saying it covered the abolition of visa requirements for diplomatic and official or special passport holders of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. He described the measure as a step that would facilitate high-level engagement and institutional exchanges between the two countries.
The agreement means eligible Pakistani officials holding the covered passport categories will be able to travel to Saudi Arabia without first obtaining a visa under the arrangement, with reciprocal treatment for eligible Saudi passport holders travelling to Pakistan.
The measure does not amount to visa-free travel for all Pakistani or Saudi citizens holding ordinary passports. Current reporting specifically identifies diplomatic, official and special passport holders as the beneficiaries of the agreement.
The signing took place as Dar met his Saudi counterpart on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. During their meeting, the two sides reaffirmed Pakistan-Saudi relations and welcomed the visa exemption agreement.
The development comes amid increased diplomatic engagement between Islamabad and Riyadh. Both governments have repeatedly emphasised cooperation across political, economic and security matters, while the latest visa arrangement is specifically designed to simplify travel for government and diplomatic representatives.
Pakistan’s state-run Radio Pakistan independently reported the agreement on Tuesday, while Geo News, Arab News and other outlets also confirmed the signing and the passport categories covered.
For travellers, the key distinction is that the newly announced exemption is limited to qualifying official passport categories. Pakistanis travelling on ordinary passports should not interpret the agreement as a general removal of Saudi visa requirements.
