A new UK visa application center was opened in Jeddah on Tuesday by British Ambassador Sir John Jenkins. The center was inaugurated in the presence of Mohammed Shokat, British consul-general, Prince Faisal Abdullah Al-Faisal, president of the Al-Etimad Modern Business Solutions Company, Mazen Batterjee, vice president of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Saudi businessmen and officials.
“Our new upgraded center aims to provide a first-class experience to our highly valued Saudi customers,” said Jenkins.
“The United Kingdom’s popularity as a destination for leisure and business continues to grow and we hope that improvements across application centers in the Kingdom will help to maintain that trend.”
“We welcome over 100,000 Saudi visitors to the UK every year and are looking forward to welcoming greater numbers,” he said.
Jenkins said that this was the third and final visa section in the Kingdom to be refurbished and that the British Embassy in Riyadh and the consulate in Jeddah were keen on its completion to facilitate visa operations. He said that the key objective is to encourage people to visit the UK, citing a 20 percent increase in demand for UK visit visas from Saudi Arabia in 2013.
A new visa application center was opened in Alkhobar in January, which is double the size of the previous center, he said.
“The center in Riyadh has also been renovated, expanded and upgraded. Over 45,000 visa applications were submitted from the western region alone in 2013.”
Prince Faisal said that the new location is better in terms of size and facilities. “The center is more easily accessible from various highways, with plenty of parking space,” he said.
He said that they have training rooms to provide on-the-job training to staff throughout the year.
Nick Jariwalla, regional manager for UK Visa and Immigration, said that the mission has upgraded to a modern online system and introduced additional premium and priority services.
The UK aims to process visit and student visa applications within 15 working days. A priority service is also available, which returns visas within three to five working days at an additional cost.
Steven Dick, political officer and embassy spokesman, said that the visa section can accommodate up to 400 people at peak times compared with 250 at the old premises.
New UK visa center opens in Jeddah
New UK visa center opens in Jeddah
Saudi Arabia stops ballistic missiles aimed at Prince Sultan Air Base
- Saudi Arabia’s cabinet on Tuesday strongly condemned Iranian attacks targeting the Kingdom
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia shot down seven ballistic missiles, the defense ministry said early Wednesday.
Six of the missiles were aimed at Prince Sultan Air Base, and the other was intercepted while heading to the Eastern Province.
Nine drones were shot down in Al-Kharj, Hafar Al-Batin, and other parts of the Eastern Province, the ministry said.
The war, launched by the US and Israel on Iran, has escalated, impacting regional stability and sparking a global energy crisis.
Saudi Arabia’s cabinet on Tuesday strongly condemned Iranian attacks targeting the Kingdom, Gulf states and other countries in the region, saying they threaten regional security and violate international law.
The cabinet session, chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman via videoconference, reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s right to take all necessary measures to protect its security, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Brent crude hit a historic $120 a barrel on Monday before settling back down to $90 a barrel on Tuesday.
Amin Nasser, CEO of Aramco, the world’s top oil exporter, told reporters: “There would be catastrophic consequences for the world’s oil markets and the longer the disruption goes on ... the more drastic the consequences for the global economy.”
The White House said that gas prices will plummet once US objectives in the war are reached.
The conflict could stretch on for months despite US President Donald Trump saying that it could be drawing to a close. But Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has said it will end when they decide.
