All business visa applicants to Saudi Arabia will now have to obtain a pre-approval from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA).
The pre-approval must be taken before a Business Visit Visa application is submitted.
Invitation letters for Commercial and Work Visit Visas that were used before will no longer be needed.
The approval can be obtained online through the ministry's website and is expected to extend the overall processing time for the visa.
UAE Circular Economy Council focuses on food security, sustainable growth
The UAE Circular Economy Council held its first meeting of 2026 on Wednesday, with discussions centred on strengthening food security, expanding sustainable production, and increasing investment in circular economy sectors.
UAE announces decision to withdraw from OPEC and OPEC+
The United Arab Emirates announced on Tuesday its decision to exit the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC and OPEC+), effective 1 May 2026.
Microsoft, OpenAI change terms of deal so startup can court Amazon, others
Microsoft and OpenAI have renegotiated a pact that let Microsoft exclusively sell the ChatGPT creator's artificial intelligence models, clearing the way for the startup to forge new deals with rivals to the software and enterprise giant, including Amazon.
UAE tops global entrepreneurship rankings for 5th straight year
The UAE has been ranked first globally for the fifth consecutive year in the latest Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) report.
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