ISLAMABAD (The Thursday Times) — Saudi Ambassador Rajeh Al-Baqami has assured Pakistan that visas for Pakistani workers will be issued within 24 hours, in a meeting with Federal Minister Chaudhry Salik Hussain in Islamabad.
The ambassador said Riyadh would extend all possible cooperation on visas and keep helping to resolve the problems of Pakistani labourers living in the kingdom. The two sides agreed to set up a joint working group to deal with those issues promptly and to promote human resource development.
Salik Hussain asked the Saudi side to open more jobs for skilled Pakistani workers. He said workers should be trained in advance to meet the Saudi labour market’s needs, and called for timely information on the manpower and skills the kingdom requires.
Accounts of the meeting do not say which visas the promise covers, when it takes effect or whether existing steps will change. No new procedure has been published yet, so be careful of any agent who charges extra and guarantees a visa in 24 hours.
The ambassador also praised the courage of Pakistanis, recalling a 2009 incident in which a Pakistani risked his life to save 14 Saudi citizens.
