JEDDAH, 8 April — Maids traveling with Saudi families vacationing in Malaysia are being told to obtain their visas before they set off on the trip.
“While Saudis and other Arabs can get their visas stamped in Malaysia for a stay from two weeks to a month, maids accompanying them can get a maximum two-week visa if they belong to countries in the ASEAN region. Since Saudi and other Arab families tend to stay longer than two weeks, it’s in their own interest to get visas for their maids before they travel,” Malaysian Consul General Syed Sultan Idris told a press conference to launch Malaysia Week today.
The week will be held at Holiday Inn Al-Salam Hotel in Jeddah through April 13 and at Holiday Inn Minhal in Riyadh between April 15 and 18. The Malaysian Embassy and Consulate General, with the support of Malaysian Airlines and Tourism Malaysia, are the organizers.
The week will include a food festival, a fashion show and dinner for ladies, and handicraft and tourism promotion. A Malaysian bazaar will be held in the compound of the consulate.
Azizan Noordin, consul (tourism) at the Malaysian Consulate, said that Malaysia recorded 12.2 million visitors from the world over last year, including over 5,000 from the Kingdom.
