MEDIA INFORMATION

Al Khobar, 06 March 2019

New Visa Application Centre Opens in Al Khobar and Jeddah for Schengen Visas to Belgium

 Managed and operated by VFS Global, the centres have started accepting visa application submissions to Belgium from residents and citizens of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia  Visa Application Centre inaugurated in Al Khobar by H.E. Dominique Mineur, Ambassador of Belgium to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

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 Jeddha.

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 2006 and presently serves applicants through a network of 64 Visa Application Centres across 22 countries including India, Cameroon, Philippines, Turkey, Vietnam, United Arab Emirates, amongst others.

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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.

Visa Applicants in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia may visit the center at:

Al Khobar: King Faisal Road, Rakka District, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Jeddah: Suwaid Bin Sakher Street, Al Mohammadiya District 1, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Queries and appointment requests to be directed to the call centre number +920006041 or communicate with the centre at [email protected]

About VFS Global VFS Global is the world's largest outsourcing and technology services specialist for governments and diplomatic missions worldwide. VFS Global, headquartered in Dubai, UAE, has Swiss parentage and is a portfolio company of EQT, a leading global private equity firm headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden. With 2992 Application Centres, operations in 143 countries across five continents and over 191 million applications processed as on 31 January 2019, VFS Global is the trusted partner of 62 client governments.

Global Media Contact Sukanya Chakraborty mailto:[email protected] mailto:[email protected]

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