Russia Considers Abolishing Tourist Visas for Four Arab Countries

Russian Minister of Economic Development, Maxim Reshetnikov, announced that Russia has proposed the complete abolition of tourist visas for Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Malaysia. Reshetnikov stated in a speech during the Eastern Economic Forum session, "Domestic Tourism: Challenges and Opportunities in the New Reality": "We are developing the issue of transitioning to the abandonment of visas. The countries we are working with are from the Middle East and Southeast Asia. We have suggested the full cancellation of visas for Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Malaysia. It is also possible to increase the number of premium tourists. This is why we are concerned about this." He noted that "as of August 1, Russia and China are ready to accept groups of tourists mutually within the framework of an international government agreement on visa-free group tourism exchanges. Additionally, as of August 1, a visa-free group tour exchange between Russia and Iran has also been launched." Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Economic Development Dmitry Vakrukov stated that a visa-free group tourism exchange between Russia and India may be launched in 2024.