Business & Money | Tuesday 12 March, 2019 11:13 am |

 

Citizens and expatriate residents of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia can apply for Schengen visas to Belgium at the new Visa Application Centres jointly launched by the Embassy of Belgium in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and VFS Global, the world's largest outsourcing and technology services specialist for governments and diplomatic missions worldwide.

 

In an expansion drive to meet the growing travel demand to Belgium from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, VFS Global announced the launch of its new Visa Application Centre in the city of Al Khobar. The company also inaugurated another center in Jeddah last month. 

 

The new Visa Application Centres provide outbound travellers from Al Khobar and Jeddah a very convenient visa application platform, ensuring enhanced quality of services and seamless procedures. Applicants also complete their biometric enrolment at the same application centre. With the launch of these new centres, applicants no longer need to visit the Embassy of Belgium and instead need to submit their visa applications at the VFS Global centres in Al Khobar and Jeddah.

 

During the official inauguration of the Visa Application Centre in Al Khobar on 05 March 2019, H.E. Dominique Mineur, Ambassador of Belgium to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, said, “We are pleased to open our third Visa Application Centre in Al Khobar following the success of Jeddah and Riyadh centres. The recent opening in Jeddah last month has already resulted in an increase in the number of visa applications received for Belgium from the Kingdom. We sincerely hope the Al Khobar Centre will also generate the same interest, and we thank VFS Global for their support. This will undoubtedly strengthen the relations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Belgium”.

 

The first Visa Application Centre for Schengen Visas to Belgium started its operations in December 2016 from the capital city of Riyadh. Each year, approximately 2000 business and leisure travellers from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia visit Belgium. VFS Global has been associated with the Client Government of Belgium since 2006and presently serves applicants through a network of 64 Visa Application Centresacross 22 countriesincluding India, Cameroon, Philippines, Turkey,Vietnam, United Arab Emirates, amongst others.

 

Commenting on the new centres for visas to Belgium, Vinay Malhotra, Regional Group COO for Middle East, South Asia & China, VFS Global, said: “The number of applications for Schengen visas applied in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has increased significantly and continuously over the years. The positive economic environment in the Kingdom and the high level of economic growth has created more opportunities for business and leisure travellers alike. The opening of our new Belgian visa centres will increase convenience and enhance the quality of services for visa applicants travelling to Belgium from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”

 

Managed by professionals trained to provide secure services in an efficient manner, the centres also offer optional Premium Lounge services to visa applicants for a more personalized service as well as doorstep delivery of passports.