RIYADH: In a one-year experiment, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, and Bahrain will be able to enter China without a visa for 30 days, according to a report released on Wednesday by the official Xinhua news agency. At a news briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning stated that the new policy will go into effect on June 9, 2025, and last until June 8, 2026. According to Mao, passport holders from the four nations will be permitted to enter China for transit, commerce, sightseeing, visiting friends or family, and exchanges.
All Gulf Cooperation Council nations may now enter China without a visa after the UAE and Qatar established reciprocal arrangements with China in 2018. “We invite additional friends from the GCC nations to visit China on an as-needed basis,” Mao stated. The East Asian country and Saudi Arabia formerly shared Approved Destination Status, which took effect on July 1, 2024. Through this bilateral agreement, travellers travelling in groups were able to enter the respective nations.
The announcement is the most recent development in the two countries’ relationship. By the end of the decade, Saudi Arabia wants to draw 5 million Chinese visitors a year, according to its Vision 2030. The Kingdom is China’s biggest trading partner in the Gulf, and the two nations have a robust commercial connection.
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