Saudi Arabia has quietly expanded its eVisa platform to offer a 12-month, multiple-entry permit for expatriate residents of GCC states, including the UAE. Announced in Riyadh but confirmed by UAE travel agents yesterday, the visa can be secured entirely online through ksavisa.sa in as little as 30 minutes.
The permit allows unlimited trips within the year, with each stay capped at 90 days, and covers tourism, family visits, business meetings and Umrah outside the Hajj season. Fees total about US$92, plus mandatory medical insurance that varies by provider. Applicants need a passport valid six months, a UAE residence visa with three months’ validity and a digital photo.
![Saudi opens one-year multiple-entry eVisa to UAE residents—UMRAH, business and tourism covered]()
The policy slashes red tape for the UAE’s huge South-Asian expatriate community, many of whom make frequent religious or commercial visits to the Kingdom. Corporate mobility teams stand to benefit as well: executives can skip consulate appointments and schedule short-notice site visits to NEOM or Riyadh’s financial district using the same visa.
Travel managers should note that minors must apply under a parent’s profile and that eVisa holders entering during Umrah peaks may still face capacity caps. Airlines expect a spike in weekend traffic on the Dubai-Riyadh and Abu Dhabi-Jeddah corridors once the visa gains traction.
The move dovetails with Saudi plans to attract 150 million visitors by 2030 and to position itself as a complementary hub rather than a competitor to Dubai. It also underscores growing regulatory harmonisation within the GCC—a trend exemplified by yesterday’s UAE-Bahrain one-stop travel pilot announcement.
The permit allows unlimited trips within the year, with each stay capped at 90 days, and covers tourism, family visits, business meetings and Umrah outside the Hajj season. Fees total about US$92, plus mandatory medical insurance that varies by provider. Applicants need a passport valid six months, a UAE residence visa with three months’ validity and a digital photo.
The policy slashes red tape for the UAE’s huge South-Asian expatriate community, many of whom make frequent religious or commercial visits to the Kingdom. Corporate mobility teams stand to benefit as well: executives can skip consulate appointments and schedule short-notice site visits to NEOM or Riyadh’s financial district using the same visa.
Travel managers should note that minors must apply under a parent’s profile and that eVisa holders entering during Umrah peaks may still face capacity caps. Airlines expect a spike in weekend traffic on the Dubai-Riyadh and Abu Dhabi-Jeddah corridors once the visa gains traction.
The move dovetails with Saudi plans to attract 150 million visitors by 2030 and to position itself as a complementary hub rather than a competitor to Dubai. It also underscores growing regulatory harmonisation within the GCC—a trend exemplified by yesterday’s UAE-Bahrain one-stop travel pilot announcement.
