ISLAMABAD: The Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Islamabad announced Monday to suspend the biometric system mechanism for getting a visa until December this year.
The embassy in its statement clarified that applicants could get a visa before December under the current system which did not require finger-print verification.
The Saudi embassy also clarified that biometric system was meant for facilitating Pakistani pilgrims going to the Arab country and to help them avoid long queues at Jeddah airport. “Saudi Arabia gives priority to the interests of Pakistanis over all other things,” the notification said.
Earlier, Saudi Arabia had introduced a biometric verification system for pilgrims going for Umrah, however, the company that was supposed to carry out this task did not make proper arrangements, which ultimately created big problems for the pilgrims.
The notification further stated that people aspiring to go for Umrah should take appointment from Etimad for biometric registration to avoid any inconvenience.