Indian citizens no longer require police certificates for Saudi visas
By Team Newsable | First Published Nov 17, 2022, 7:15 PM ISTAccording to the Saudi embassy in New Delhi, the decision was made due to the two nations' strategic relationship and was part of further efforts to strengthen bilateral ties.
Saudi Arabia announced, on Thursday, that Indian citizens will no longer be required to submit a Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) to obtain a visa, a move that is likely to help individuals seeking jobs in the West Asian country.
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The 2.2 million-strong Indian population is Saudi Arabia's largest immigrant group and one of the greatest concentrations of Indians in West Asia. While many Indians returned to India following the Covid-19 outbreak, there has been an increase in the number of individuals returning to Saudi Arabia for a career.
According to the Saudi embassy in New Delhi, the decision was made due to the two nations' strategic relationship and was part of further efforts to strengthen bilateral ties.
In its statement, the embassy said, "In view of the strong relations and strategic partnership between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Republic of India, the Kingdom has decided to exempt Indian nationals from submitting a Police Clearance Certificate (PCC)."
"The PCC will no longer require Indian individuals to seek a visa to visit Saudi Arabia. This decision was made as part of the two countries efforts to strengthen their relations even further," it added.
The embassy said that Saudi Arabia "values the contribution of almost two million Indian residents living peacefully in the Kingdom."
The Indian community in Saudi Arabia is well-regarded, and the government has recognised its contributions to the kingdom's prosperity. The two countries announced in October 2019 that India's e-Migrate system would be merged with Saudi Arabia's e-Thawtheeq system to facilitate the migration process for workers.
In addition, Saudi Arabia is India's fourth-largest trading partner. Until earlier this year, when India increased its purchases of Russian oil, Saudi Arabia accounted for more than 18 per cent of India's crude oil imports. Bilateral commerce was valued at $29.28 billion from April to December 2022.
In this period, India's imports from Saudi Arabia totalled $22.65 billion, while exports to Saudi Arabia totalled $6.63 billion. As of October 2021, over 745 Indian companies were registered in Saudi Arabia as joint ventures or 100 per cent owned entities, with investments totalling approximately $2 billion.
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