Saudi Arabia has assured Pakistan that visas for Pakistani workers will be issued within 24 hours, in a move that could speed up recruitment and expand employment opportunities for Pakistanis in the Kingdom.

The assurance was given by Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan Dr Rajeh bin Tami Al-Baqami during a meeting with Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Chaudhry Salik Hussain in Islamabad on 5 November.

During the meeting, the ambassador said Riyadh would extend all possible facilities to Pakistani workers, including cooperation to ensure visa processing within 24 hours. The discussions focused on strengthening the longstanding relationship between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, addressing the challenges faced by Pakistani workers in the Kingdom, and exploring new employment opportunities for Pakistanis in the Saudi labour market.

The two sides also agreed to set up a joint working group to address workers' issues promptly, strengthen institutional cooperation and promote human resource development.

The 24-hour assurance follows the introduction of same-day visa processing for Pakistani citizens at the Saudi Embassy in Islamabad, announced by the ambassador on 30 October during a meeting with Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik. Under that arrangement, visa applications submitted by Pakistani nationals are processed on the same day they are lodged, rather than waiting several days for the embassy stage.

It is important to be clear about what the faster processing means in practice. Same-day processing refers to the embassy stage of the application, and the embassy has not specified which visa categories are covered. It does not guarantee that a visa will be approved or issued on the same day, and other steps — such as biometrics at a Tasheer centre, the medical test and, for workers, skills verification — remain separate parts of the process. Applicants should check the official requirements through the Saudi Embassy or authorised channels before applying, and should not pay agents who promise a guaranteed same-day visa.

Saudi Arabia is one of the largest destinations for Pakistani workers overseas, and remittances from Pakistanis working in the Kingdom are a major source of foreign exchange for Pakistan. Faster visa processing could help workers join new jobs on time and reduce the delays that have long frustrated both workers and employers.

The meeting is the latest in a series of engagements between the two countries since the appointment of Dr Al-Baqami as Saudi Arabia's ambassador to Pakistan. The two sides have also agreed to expand cooperation in oil, gas, refineries and minerals, and Pakistan has invited Saudi Arabia's Vice Minister of Mining to attend the Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum in Islamabad on 12 and 13 November.