Riyadh: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on Tuesday announced long and short-term educational visas for foreign students, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
This decision was taken by the weekly session of the Council of Ministers, chaired by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman, at Al-Salam Palace on Tuesday evening.
Long-term educational visas are being granted to students, researchers and experts, for the purposes of academic study and research visits.
While short-term visas will be granted to students, researchers, and visiting trainees, for the purposes of language study, training, and participation in short programs and student exchange programs.
The holder of a long and short-term educational visa is exempted from the statutory requirement related to providing a sponsor.
The entry of a foreign expatriate wishing to work in Saudi Arabia, which hosts about 13 million expatriates, needed a Saudi sponsor, but the Kingdom abolished that condition for most professions in 2021 within what is known as the initiative to improve the contractual relationship.
