The leaders of Russia and Saudi Arabia held telephone talks.

Russian President Vladimir Putin held a telephone conversation with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud of Saudi Arabia.

The interlocutors discussed further development of bilateral cooperation in the political, trade and economic and energy fields, as well as cooperation within the framework of OPEC Plus to ensure stability of the global oil market.

Earlier, Saudi Arabia announced the launch of a new program that allows passengers of the national airline SAUDIA to receive a tourist visa for 96 hours, together with the air ticket.

This visa allows travelers to visit the main attractions of the kingdom, as well as to make a religious pilgrimage – umrah. When buying a ticket, the passenger will be asked to apply for a visa, so he does not need to additionally visit the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Visa processing will take only three minutes. The program will be called the program “Your ticket is a visa. Authorities expect it to increase demand for international flights to Saudi Arabia by 40% in 2023.

The authorities of Saudi Arabia have already facilitated access to the country for residents of the United Arab Emirates, including citizens of Russia, Kazakhstan and Ukraine. Thus, they can apply for an electronic visa through an online portal Visit Saudi.

The new one-year electronic visa is multiple entry and allows tourists to spend in the country to 90 days. Before the trip, travelers no longer need to visit the embassy of Saudi Arabia.