The Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Egypt announced that Saudi citizens traveling to Egypt are now required to purchase an entry visa for US$25 or its equivalent in other currencies. The embassy said, in a statement, that the Egyptian government’s decision to impose visa fees on citizens of the Kingdom went into effect on March 14. A worker’s sponsorship is directly tied to their visa and legal status, with the employer holding important documents belonging to the worker. With the new changes, workers in Saudi Arabia will now be able to change jobs without an employer’s permission and travel outside of the country after notifying an employer. The changes are hoped to reduce the disparity in the contractual procedures of the Saudi worker versus the expatriate worker, which will increase employment opportunities for Saudi citizens in the labor market.

Source: Egypt Independent March 16, 2021 10:30 UTC