Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have signed a new agreement that removes visa requirements for certain travellers. However, the Saudi visa waiver does not apply to ordinary passport holders. Instead, it covers officials carrying diplomatic and official passports.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar signed the deal with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan. The two leaders met in New York on September 22 during the 2026 United Nations General Assembly session. Dar later shared the news on X.
According to Dar, the waiver will make high-level engagement between the two governments easier. Moreover, he said it would support greater institutional interaction between Islamabad and Riyadh. Additionally, fewer travel formalities should allow senior officials to meet more often and at shorter notice.
On the Pakistani side, the arrangement covers citizens travelling to Saudi Arabia on diplomatic and official passports. Meanwhile, Saudi nationals holding diplomatic, official or special passports can also enter Pakistan without a visa. Dar added that the measure would strengthen the strategic partnership between both countries. It will also help facilitate cooperation in areas of mutual interest, he said.
The deal arrives at a time when both nations are working to deepen their economic ties. Last month, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan wanted to turn its economic relationship with Saudi Arabia into a strategic economic partnership. Therefore, smoother official travel could help move that goal forward.
A Saudi business delegation has already explored investment opportunities in Pakistan’s agriculture, infrastructure, energy and IT sectors. Furthermore, security cooperation has expanded between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye. The three countries are working together through the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement and its new trilateral committee. Also, the new committee gives the three nations a formal channel to coordinate on defence matters.
Still, the Saudi visa waiver marks only one part of a much wider push between the two long-standing allies. Finally, officials on both sides now have one less barrier when they travel for talks.
