RIYADH – Saudi diplomatic missions abroad issued a total of 10.77 million visas last year.

“This is a record figure compared to previous years, and the increase was 13.6 percent over 2011 and 79.7 percent over 2005,” said Assistant Foreign Minister Prince Khaled Bin Saud Bin Khaled.

Speaking to the Saudi Press Agency, the minister said that Umrah visas made up more than half (51 percent) of the total visas issued last year.

A total of 5,499,603 Umrah visas were issued followed by 1,960,703 (18 percent) employment visas.

The number of Haj and tourist visas issued last year stood at 1,669,210 (16 percent) and 1,057,792 (10 percent) respectively. These visas were issued by 110 Saudi diplomatic missions and 13 temporary Haj missions abroad, Prince Khaled added. – SG

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