JEDDAH, 31 May 2004 — Austrian Consul Dr. Hartwig Seuchter has said processing of visas for his country takes time because information is shared with all Schengen member countries.
Speaking at the launch of an Austrian summer tourist promotion at the Jeddah Marriott Hotel yesterday, Dr. Seuchter said the processing of a visa for Saudis and certain other nationalities takes up to 14 days.
“Information is fed through the Schengen network to its central station in France which is then accessed by member countries,” Seuchter said, adding that clearance from all member countries is required for the issuance of a Schengen visa.
Saudis and others with a Schengen visa can enter Switzerland without a Swiss visa. “This is applicable to all GCC nationals,” he said.
Most other visitors to Switzerland require a visa prior to entering. “Not a single Saudi has been denied a visa,” he said.
Seuchter, who was accompanied by Zakir Siddik, local Austria Tourism consultant, listed many attractions that Austria offers to visitors. They include pop concerts, the Spanish Riding School, the Liechtenstein and Sisi museums, sporting events and shopping in addition to mountains and natural splendor. Its tourist infrastructure continues to expand with new hotels and apartments. Austria Tourist Board services are also available.
There has been an increase of 19 percent in the number of tourists visiting Austria from the Kingdom. The Austrian Embassy here issues some 10,000 visas annually.
Since the visit last month of Crown Prince Abdullah, Austria’s relations with the Kingdom are better than ever. “The crown prince’s visit has given a tremendous boost to bilateral relations,” Seuchter said.
Trade between the two countries continues to expand, he said. Austrian imports from the Kingdom rose by 80 percent to 300 million euros last year while its exports to the Kingdom increased by 15 percent to 220 euros. Services, especially engineering consultancies, figure prominently in Austria’s exports.
