Saudi Arabia has established a completely new visa category for Turkish drivers as a part of the negotiations between the two countries for visa facilitation, enabling land-based transportation from Türkiye to Saudi Arabia after many years.
Following the developments in the Middle East, transit routes via Iraq and Syria opened and created opportunities for Turkish firms to reach Saudi Arabia by land, leading to high-level contacts being established with Riyadh to transport goods to the country under suitable conditions.
Drivers engaged in road transport will be able to apply for a previously non-existent visa, and the specifics of the application process through intermediary firms, required documents, fees and visa types were outlined in a recent letter sent to civil society organizations by the Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Ministry.
Companies with visas began operations, leading to an uptick in the number of shipments to Saudi Arabia, according to the U-Net automation system used by the ministry for licensed transport firms.
Following the discussions between the Turkish and Saudi Arabian sides to ease the difficulties drivers face during operational processes, an agreement was reached to issue multi-entry land transport visas for a one-year period for 300 Saudi riyals ($79.88), as well as a single-entry transit transport visa free of charge.
The decision is expected to be followed by other efforts by Saudi authorities to facilitate transport operations and driver visa issuance processes.
