Thursday, May 26, 2016

Manama: Bahrain is introducing two new types of visas and extending a third to help attract more visitors and investors to the kingdom.

Under the plan recommended by the Executive Committee, chaired by Crown Prince Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa, and approved by the government at its weekly session on Monday, a single entry visa is issued electronically or at entry points on payment of five dinars (Dh48.71). The visa allows its holder to stay in the kingdom for five days.

The second visa is multiple-entry and is issued only electronically upon the payment of BD85. It allows its holder to stay in the kingdom for up to 90 days.

Holders of the current multiple-entry visas, which are valid for three months, may stay in the kingdom up to one month, instead of two weeks.

Bahrain has extended its eVisa eligibility to 113 nationalities from the previous list of 38 countries, and travellers from 66 countries can get their visas upon arrival in the kingdom.

More than 250,000 people on average visit Bahrain every week.

On Thursday, the Assistant Undersecretary for Ports, Search and Follow-up at the General Directorate of Nationality, Passports and Residence said that 280,893 people entered the kingdom between May 12 and 18.

He said that 233,199 arrived from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries via King Fahd Causeway, while 47,404 landed at Bahrain International Airport and 290 came through seaports.

The King Fahd Causeway, the 25-kilometre terrestrial link between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, was opened in November 1986. It has become one of the busiest road sectors in the Arab world.

A second link, the King Hamad Causeway, is scheduled to be built between the two kingdoms.

Habib Toumi, Bureau Chief

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