The opening of direct flights between Russia and Saudi Arabia is scheduled for October this year. This was stated by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov following a meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.
He stressed that the launch of air traffic, as well as the agreement on the refusal of visa requirements, will contribute to the increase in tourist exchanges and contacts between business circles. According to him, the agreement on visa-free regime between the countries is at the final stage of preparation.
“Last year, the tourist flow from Saudi Arabia to Russia increased almost six times compared to 2023. Russians are also increasingly choosing Saudi Arabia for their travels. Last year they made more than 36 thousand trips to the kingdom.
Sergey Lavrov
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia
The Russian minister also expressed hope that the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman will attend the first Russian-Arab summit in October.
In turn, Al Saud noted that relations between the countries are developing in all areas.
“I note the high level of development of relations between Russia and Saudi Arabia. We cooperate in various fields: in the economy, industry, in the cultural sphere. We are indeed witnessing the strengthening of ties between our peoples: the tourism sector is growing, the number of mutual visits to our countries is increasing, and this, of course, will be an impetus to the development of our relations.
Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud
Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia
In addition, the parties agreed to continue cooperation in OPEC+.
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