- ABHA: US Consul General Thomas Duffy said on Sunday his office was making all efforts to speed up the issue of student visas to Saudis and appealed for patience until the situation returns to normal.
He was speaking to mediapersons at Abha Palace Hotel during a visit to the southern Asir province.
Duffy said families of US diplomats, including dependents of the consulate staff who had gone back to their country after the December 2004 attack on the US Consulate in Jeddah that killed five local employees, have started returning to the Kingdom.
On the visa front, Duffy advised students to submit their applications for visas at least two months before their intended travel date so that there is sufficient time to process the formalities.
The consul general, who is on his first visit to the province after he took up his position in Jeddah, also visited Asir Gov. Prince Faisal bin Khaled. During the meeting the prince and the consul discussed ways to improve relations between the two countries.
At a reception at the Abha Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Saturday, the consul general and chamber members discussed investment opportunities in sectors such as mining, health, tourism and education in the province.
